Mod 6: The Buddhist Councils (Sangitis) — Rajagriha, Vaishali, Pataliputra, Kashmir and After
Concept
3.16 School Level — The First and Second Councils
🏫 School Level · NCERT Class 6–12 History · clear basics
Key terms and events:
- sangiti: “reciting together”
- 1st: c. 483 BCE, Saptaparni cave (Rajagriha), Ajatashatru, Mahakassapa; Ananda (Sutta), Upali (Vinaya).
- 2nd: c. 383 BCE, Valukarama (Vaishali), Kalashoka, Sabakami; ten points of the Vajjiputtakas; 700 monks.
- First split: Sthaviravadins and Mahasanghikas.
A sangiti (“reciting together”) was a great assembly of monks who chanted and agreed on the Buddha’s teaching. With no written texts, these councils were how the canon was fixed — and also where the Sangha first split. Three of the four great councils were held in Bihar.
First Council — Rajagriha (c. 483 BCE).
- Held a few months after the parinirvana, in the Saptaparni cave on the Vaibhara hill at Rajagriha, under the patronage of Ajatashatru.
- Presided over by Mahakassapa; 500 arhats attended.
- Ananda recited the Sutta (discourses) and Upali the Vinaya (rules). Ananda, who had not yet become an arhat, is said to have attained it on the eve of the council.
- Why it was called: a monk named Subhadda had said, after the Buddha’s death, “now we can do as we like” — Mahakassapa feared the teaching would be lost.
Second Council — Vaishali (c. 383 BCE).
- About 100 years after the parinirvana, at the Valukarama in Vaishali, under the Shishunaga king Kalashoka (Kakavarna).
- Cause: the Vajjiputtaka monks of Vaishali followed “ten points” (dasa vatthuni) of relaxed discipline — the most famous being accepting gold and silver, and storing salt in a horn. The monk Yasa Kakandakaputta objected.
- About 700 monks met; the elder Sabakami (Sabbakami) presided and Revata led the case. The ten points were rejected.
- Result (according to the Sri Lankan chronicles): the first great schism — the conservative Sthaviravadins (Theras) and the majority Mahasanghikas. Some other sources place the split at a later meeting; exams follow the chronicles.
Historian’s discovery / place evidence.
- About 100 years after the parinirvana, at the Valukarama in Vaishali, under the Shishunaga king Kalashoka (Kakavarna).
- Cause: the Vajjiputtaka monks of Vaishali followed “ten points” (dasa vatthuni) of relaxed discipline — the most famous being accepting gold and silver, and storing salt in a horn. The monk Yasa Kakandakaputta objected.
- About 700 monks met; the elder Sabakami (Sabbakami) presided and Revata led the case. The ten points were rejected.
- Result (according to the Sri Lankan chronicles): the first great schism — the conservative Sthaviravadins (Theras) and the majority Mahasanghikas. Some other sources place the split at a later meeting; exams follow the chronicles.
- About 100 years after the parinirvana, at the Valukarama in Vaishali, under the Shishunaga king Kalashoka (Kakavarna).
- Cause: the Vajjiputtaka monks of Vaishali followed “ten points” (dasa vatthuni) of relaxed discipline — the most famous being accepting gold and silver, and storing salt in a horn. The monk Yasa Kakandakaputta objected.
- About 700 monks met; the elder Sabakami (Sabbakami) presided and Revata led the case. The ten points were rejected.
- Result (according to the Sri Lankan chronicles): the first great schism — the conservative Sthaviravadins (Theras) and the majority Mahasanghikas. Some other sources place the split at a later meeting; exams follow the chronicles.
Where and why was the First Buddhist Council held?
Model answer: At Rajagriha (Sattapanni cave) soon after the mahaparinirvana, under Mahakassapa, to recite Vinaya (Upali) and Sutta (Ananda).
What dispute led to the Second Council at Vaishali?
Model answer:
The Second Council at Vaishali (~383 BCE) arose from a Vinaya dispute over ten points of lax practice among Vajjian monks.
- Issues included matters of discipline and communal norms contested as too permissive.
- The council condemned the ten points and defended stricter Vinaya.
- Historically it signals early institutional tension that later flowered into schools.
- Venue at Vaishali keeps Bihar central to Buddhist constitutional history.
State cause (ten points) + place (Vaishali) + outcome (condemnation/schism tendency).
Further development. A UPSC-ready answer should move from definitions to causation and consequence. Relate the theme to the middle Ganga / Bihar setting wherever the sources allow, and avoid one-line listings without explanation.
Supporting facts to weave into the argument:
- 1st: c. 483 BCE, Saptaparni cave (Rajagriha), Ajatashatru, Mahakassapa; Ananda (Sutta), Upali (Vinaya).
- 2nd: c. 383 BCE, Valukarama (Vaishali), Kalashoka, Sabakami; ten points of the Vajjiputtakas; 700 monks.
- First split: Sthaviravadins and Mahasanghikas.
Quick anchors examiners expect: Question: Who recited the Vinaya at the First Council? Answer: Upali.; Question: Under which king was the Second Council held? Answer: Kalashoka (Kakavarna)..
Significance. In conclusion, the question “What dispute led to the Second Council at Vaishali?” is best answered as a connected historical argument: state the core claim, support it with Bihar-centred evidence, and close with why the issue matters for ancient Indian polity, economy or religion.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sangiti | “reciting together” |
| Bihar | Held a few months after the parinirvana, in the Saptaparni cave on the Vaibhara hill at Rajagriha, under the patronage of A |
| Saptaparni cave | on the Vaibhara hill at Rajagriha, under the patronage of Ajatashatru |
| Ajatashatru | Presided over by Mahakassapa; 500 arhats attended |
| Mahakassapa | ; 500 arhats attended |
- 1st: c. 483 BCE, Saptaparni cave (Rajagriha), Ajatashatru, Mahakassapa; Ananda (Sutta), Upali (Vinaya).
- 2nd: c. 383 BCE, Valukarama (Vaishali), Kalashoka, Sabakami; ten points of the Vajjiputtakas; 700 monks.
- First split: Sthaviravadins and Mahasanghikas.
- Question: Who recited the Vinaya at the First Council? Answer: Upali.
- Question: Under which king was the Second Council held? Answer: Kalashoka (Kakavarna).
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
Question 1: In 483 BCE, who presided over the First Buddhist Council held at Rajagriha?
Question 2: Under which ruler was the Second Buddhist Council organized at Vaishali in 383 BCE?
[67th BPSC 2022] Where was the First Buddhist Council held?
[BPSC level] The First Buddhist Council was held under the patronage of:
[School] At the First Council, the Vinaya Pitaka was recited by:
[BPSC level] How many arhats are said to have attended the First Council?
[BPSC level] The Second Council was held at Vaishali in the:
[UPSC level] The main issue at the Second Council was:
[BPSC level] The Second Council was presided over by:
[UPSC level] According to the Sri Lankan chronicles, the Sangha first split after the Second Council into:
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Who recited the Vinaya at the First Council?
Upali.Under which king was the Second Council held?
Kalashoka (Kakavarna).Concept
3.17 Transition Level — The Third and Fourth Councils, and later councils
🔄 Transition Level · From school basics to deeper historical detail
Key terms and events:
- Ashoka: about his 17th–18th regnal year
- Kathavatthu: “points of controversy”
- “Schism Edict”: Sarnath, Sanchi, Kaushambi
- Ashvaghosha: whom Kanishka is said to have taken from Pataliputra
- 3rd: c. 250 BCE, Ashokarama (Pataliputra), Ashoka, Moggaliputta Tissa; Kathavatthu; missions.
- 4th: 1st–2nd c. CE, Kundalvana (Kashmir), Kanishka, Vasumitra (vice: Ashvaghosha); Mahavibhasha in Sanskrit.
- Later Theravada councils: Mandalay 1871, Yangon 1954–56.
Pataliputra, Kashmir, Sri Lanka and Myanmar
Pataliputra, Kashmir, Sri Lanka and Myanmar
Third Council — Pataliputra (c. 250 BCE).
- Held at the Ashokarama monastery in Pataliputra under Ashoka (about his 17th–18th regnal year), presided over by Moggaliputta Tissa.
- Purpose: to purify the Sangha of monks with wrong views; the Kathavatthu (“points of controversy”), refuting other schools, was compiled — it became part of the Abhidhamma Pitaka, which tradition says was completed here.
- Afterwards missionaries were sent out: Mahinda (Mahendra) and Sanghamitta to Sri Lanka, Majjhantika to Kashmir–Gandhara, Mahadeva to Mahishamandala, Sona and Uttara to Suvarnabhumi, and others.
- Note for UPSC: only the Theravada chronicles mention this council; Ashoka’s own “Schism Edict” (Sarnath, Sanchi, Kaushambi) shows him acting against monks who split the Sangha, which fits the story.
Fourth Council — Kashmir (1st–2nd century CE).
- Held at Kundalvana in Kashmir (some sources say Jalandhar) under the Kushana emperor Kanishka.
- President Vasumitra; vice-president Ashvaghosha (whom Kanishka is said to have taken from Pataliputra).
- It was a council of the Sarvastivada school; the great commentary Mahavibhasha was compiled in Sanskrit.
- Textbooks link it with the division into Hinayana and Mahayana. Historians add that Mahayana grew gradually over the 1st century BCE–2nd century CE; the council marks the period, not a single day of separation.
| Council | Where / when | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Theravada “4th” | Aluvihara, Sri Lanka, 1st c. BCE | Pali canon written on palm leaves |
| 5th (Theravada) | Mandalay, Myanmar, 1871 | King Mindon; canon carved on 729 marble slabs (Kuthodaw Pagoda) |
| 6th (Theravada) | Yangon, Myanmar, 1954–56 | Marked 2,500 years of the Buddha’s parinirvana |
Historian’s discovery / place evidence.
- Held at the Ashokarama monastery in Pataliputra under Ashoka (about his 17th–18th regnal year), presided over by Moggaliputta Tissa.
- Purpose: to purify the Sangha of monks with wrong views; the Kathavatthu (“points of controversy”), refuting other schools, was compiled — it became part of the Abhidhamma Pitaka, which tradition says was completed here.
- Afterwards missionaries were sent out: Mahinda (Mahendra) and Sanghamitta to Sri Lanka, Majjhantika to Kashmir–Gandhara, Mahadeva to Mahishamandala, Sona and Uttara to Suvarnabhumi, and others.
- Note for UPSC: only the Theravada chronicles mention this council; Ashoka’s own “Schism Edict” (Sarnath, Sanchi, Kaushambi) shows him acting against monks who split the Sangha, which fits the story.
- Held at Kundalvana in Kashmir (some sources say Jalandhar) under the Kushana emperor Kanishka.
- President Vasumitra; vice-president Ashvaghosha (whom Kanishka is said to have taken from Pataliputra).
- It was a council of the Sarvastivada school; the great commentary Mahavibhasha was compiled in Sanskrit.
- Textbooks link it with the division into Hinayana and Mahayana. Historians add that Mahayana grew gradually over the 1st century BCE–2nd century CE; the council marks the period, not a single day of separation.
Summarise the Third Council under Ashoka.
Model answer: Held at Pataliputra (Ashokarama) c. 250 BCE with Moggaliputta Tissa; Abhidhamma work and missions (including Sri Lanka) are linked to it.
Where was the Fourth Council held, and under which ruler?
Model answer:
The Fourth Council is traditionally placed in Kashmir (Kundalvana) in the Kushan age under Kanishka.
- Associated with Sarvastivada scholarship and developments feeding Mahayana currents.
- Distinct from Rajagriha (First), Vaishali (Second) and Pataliputra (Third under Ashoka).
- Shows Buddhism’s institutional centre of gravity moving beyond Magadha while Magadhan memory remained sacred.
Always pair place + ruler; do not confuse with Ashoka’s Third Council.
Further development. A UPSC-ready answer should move from definitions to causation and consequence. Relate the theme to the middle Ganga / Bihar setting wherever the sources allow, and avoid one-line listings without explanation.
Supporting facts to weave into the argument:
- 3rd: c. 250 BCE, Ashokarama (Pataliputra), Ashoka, Moggaliputta Tissa; Kathavatthu; missions.
- 4th: 1st–2nd c. CE, Kundalvana (Kashmir), Kanishka, Vasumitra (vice: Ashvaghosha); Mahavibhasha in Sanskrit.
- Later Theravada councils: Mandalay 1871, Yangon 1954–56.
Quick anchors examiners expect: Question: Who presided over the Third Council? Answer: Moggaliputta Tissa.; Question: Who presided over the Fourth Council? Answer: Vasumitra..
Significance. In conclusion, the question “Where was the Fourth Council held, and under which ruler?” is best answered as a connected historical argument: state the core claim, support it with Bihar-centred evidence, and close with why the issue matters for ancient Indian polity, economy or religion.
| Council | Where / when | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Theravada “4th” | Aluvihara, Sri Lanka, 1st c. BCE | Pali canon written on palm leaves |
| 5th (Theravada) | Mandalay, Myanmar, 1871 | King Mindon; canon carved on 729 marble slabs (Kuthodaw Pagoda) |
| 6th (Theravada) | Yangon, Myanmar, 1954–56 | Marked 2,500 years of the Buddha’s parinirvana |
- 3rd: c. 250 BCE, Ashokarama (Pataliputra), Ashoka, Moggaliputta Tissa; Kathavatthu; missions.
- 4th: 1st–2nd c. CE, Kundalvana (Kashmir), Kanishka, Vasumitra (vice: Ashvaghosha); Mahavibhasha in Sanskrit.
- Later Theravada councils: Mandalay 1871, Yangon 1954–56.
- Question: Who presided over the Third Council? Answer: Moggaliputta Tissa.
- Question: Who presided over the Fourth Council? Answer: Vasumitra.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
Question 3: During the Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra, which third canonical basket was compiled?
Question 4: Who served as the Vice-President of the Fourth Buddhist Council held at Kundalvana in Kashmir?
[BPSC level] The Third Buddhist Council was held at:
[BPSC level] The Third Council was presided over by:
[UPSC level] The Kathavatthu, compiled at the Third Council, is a text that:
[School] Ashoka sent his son and daughter to spread Buddhism in Sri Lanka. They were:
[UPSC level] Ashoka’s “Schism Edict”, warning monks against splitting the Sangha, is found at:
[BPSC level] The Fourth Buddhist Council was held under:
[UPSC level] The Fourth Council compiled the Mahavibhasha in which language?
[BSSC pattern] The Fourth Council is generally associated with the division of Buddhism into:
[UPSC level] The Sixth Buddhist Council (Theravada), marking 2,500 years of the parinirvana, was held at:
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Who presided over the Third Council?
Moggaliputta Tissa.Who presided over the Fourth Council?
Vasumitra.Concept
3.18 Advanced Level — Councils master table and deep reading
🎯 Advanced Level · Short and long questions with full topic facts
Key terms and events:
- 67th BPSC 2022: venue (Rajagriha) and president (Mahakassapa) of the First Council.
Councils master table and deep reading
Councils master table and deep reading
Historian’s discovery. Read this topic against archaeology and early texts so names become places and dates, not rote lists.
Councils master table and deep reading
Give the place–president pair for the First and Third Councils.
Model answer: First: Rajagriha — Mahakassapa; Third: Pataliputra — Moggaliputta Tissa.
Why is a master table of councils useful for deep study?
Model answer:
A master table of councils is a revision tool that prevents place–president–outcome mix-ups under exam pressure.
- Locks Rajagriha–Mahakassapa, Vaishali–Vinaya ten points, Pataliputra–Moggaliputta Tissa/Ashoka, Kashmir–Kanishka.
- Separates Bihar councils from later Himalayan/Kushan ones.
- Supports both prelims pair questions and mains institutional history.
Tables are not decoration; they are accuracy insurance.
Further development. A UPSC-ready answer should move from definitions to causation and consequence. Relate the theme to the middle Ganga / Bihar setting wherever the sources allow, and avoid one-line listings without explanation.
Supporting facts to weave into the argument:
- 67th BPSC 2022: venue (Rajagriha) and president (Mahakassapa) of the First Council.
- Three of four councils in Bihar; only the Fourth outside, in Sanskrit.
Quick anchors examiners expect: Question: On which hill is the Saptaparni cave? Answer: Vaibhara hill, Rajgir..
Significance. In conclusion, the question “Why is a master table of councils useful for deep study?” is best answered as a connected historical argument: state the core claim, support it with Bihar-centred evidence, and close with why the issue matters for ancient Indian polity, economy or religion.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Topic | Councils master table and deep reading |
Solved questions from previous exams for this module, with the answer and a short explanation of why it is correct.
| Exam | What it asks from this module |
|---|---|
| BPSC | Venue and president of the First Council (both asked in 67th BPSC 2022); Vaishali council; Kalashoka |
| UPSC | Matching council–king–president–venue; Sthaviravada vs Mahasanghika |
| Mains | Role of royal patronage in preserving and spreading Buddhism |
Where was the First Buddhist Council held? (a) Rajagriha (b) Amaravati (c) Kanganahalli (d) Pataliputra (e) None of the above / More than one of the above
- Saptaparni cave, Rajagriha. Amaravati and Kanganahalli are south Indian Buddhist stupa sites; Pataliputra hosted the Third Council.
Who presided over the First Buddhist Council? (a) Vasumitra (b) Mahakassapa (c) Sangharaksha (d) Parshvaka (e) None of the above / More than one of the above
- Mahakassapa presided. Vasumitra presided over the Fourth; Parshva (Parshvaka) is linked with Kanishka’s council too.
- Councils and kings: 1 Ajatashatru → 2 Kalashoka → 3 Ashoka → 4 Kanishka. Two Ashokas — don’t confuse Kalashoka (2nd) with Ashoka (3rd).
- Presidents: Mahakassapa → Sabakami → Moggaliputta Tissa → Vasumitra (vice: Ashvaghosha).
- Only the Fourth was held outside Bihar and used Sanskrit.
Model question: “The Buddhist councils were as much political as religious events.” Discuss. Points: royal patrons (Ajatashatru, Kalashoka, Ashoka, Kanishka) gained legitimacy; disputes over money and discipline reflect urban wealth; the Third Council sent missions that made Buddhism an Asian religion; the Fourth council’s use of Sanskrit and the rise of Mahayana.
- 67th BPSC 2022: venue (Rajagriha) and president (Mahakassapa) of the First Council.
- Three of four councils in Bihar; only the Fourth outside, in Sanskrit.
- Question: On which hill is the Saptaparni cave? Answer: Vaibhara hill, Rajgir.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[67th BPSC 2022] Who presided over the First Buddhist Council?
[UPSC level] Match the council with its royal patron in order 1–4:
[BPSC level] How many of the four great Buddhist councils were held in present-day Bihar?
[UPSC level] Which statement about the Buddhist councils is correct?
[BSSC pattern] The Saptaparni cave is on which hill of Rajgir?
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
On which hill is the Saptaparni cave?
Vaibhara hill, Rajgir.