Were Indians always vegetarians? ate beef?

India is over 5000 years old culture. Up to Mauryan dynasty, Indians ate all kinds of meats including beef, pork , fowl, fish etc. Three figures in the Indian History are considered to be responsible for vegetarianism in India: Emperor Asoka, Lord Mahavir, and Lord Buddha.

Lord Buddha

Gautama Buddha (563 BC - 483 BC) was born Siddhartha Gautama in a royal family as a prince in Nepal on a full-moon. He was married and had a son. At the age of 29 (534 BC), he became dissatisfied with the disparity between the lifestyle of general masses and the luxury of few, and the suffering they all shared. He left home and sought enlightenment meditating under a Bodhi tree for six years. Around 528 BC, he realized enlightenment (Bodhi), the causes of human suffering and ways to eliminate it. He founded "Sangha', a community of Buddhist Monks and Nuns to teach the principles of Buddhism. He died at the age of 80.

One of the principles of Buddhism is Ahimsa (Non-violence). It prohibits killing of animals for any reason (blood-sport, or sacrifice). Buddhist are allowed to accept all foods, as long as the animals was not killed specifically to feed the monks and nuns.

Two centuries later Asoka would establish the largest empire in India, and convert himself to Buddhism. After Asoka, it would be Akbar the great to set a larger Mogul empire in India.

Asoka and Buddhism

King Asoka (304 B.C. - 232 B.C.), the third monarch of the Indian Mauryan dynasty was touched at massive loss of life during Kalinga war (262 B.C.). During the war, 150,000 people were displaced, 100,000 killed, many others lost life in the aftermath. Asoka had become a Buddhist two years before the war. After the war, Asoka decided to rule his subjects with primary concern for their moral and spiritual welfare, and follow the principles of Buddhism. His edicts were inscribed on rocks and pillars, so that they will last for generations. The edicts have been found in more than thirty locations throughout India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. He apologized for the war, told neighbors not to fear him. The running theme of the edicts was 'no living beings are to be slaughtered or offered in sacrifice', 'respect the good aspects of all religions'. Asoka wanted his subjects to follow Buddhism, but he never mentioned Buddhism by name in the edicts. This strategy lead to massive expansion of Buddhism in India.

Buddhism did NOT FORBID meat consumption, it only forbade 'killing'. The hunting (blood-sport), animal-sacrifice and meat consumption were significantly reduced.

Buddhism became a threat to Hinduism. To counter the expansion of Buddhism, Brahmins declared Gau (Cow) as Maata (mother) and forbade Hindus to eat beef.

Brahmins would incorporate some of food patterns of Jainism and formulate a lacto-vegetarian Hindu culture.

Mahavir - Jainism

Lord Mahavir (599 B.C. - 527 B.C.) was born in a Hindu royal family as a prince who gave up all his worldly possessions (including all the clothing) at the age of 30 to seek enlightenment and conquer his desires. At the age of 42, Mahavir received the enlightenment (keval-jnana) via deep meditation in silence for 12 years.

One of the guiding principles in Jainism is Ahimsa (Non-violence).

Jains are not allowed to eat Meats, Fowl, Fish, Eggs, Honey, Figs.

Jains don't eat onions and garlic to decrease the sexual desire.

Jains do not eat root vegetables such as Potatoes or carrots as up-rooting them basically kills the plant. Also there are insects clinging to the roots that may be killed.

The fruits must be totally ripened and fallen off the plants so that they cause no pain to the the host plant

Unlike Vegan, Jains do consume dairy products.

Vedic Religion - Hinduism

Vedic period lasted from the middle of the second millennium BCE to the middle of the first. Ritual animal-sacrifice and eating meat was a predominant custom. Only Brahmins (priestly cast) were to perform the rites.

Upanishads, Mahabharata, Bhagvata Purana bar violence against animals except for ritual killing. Ritual killing is considered as a benevolent act, because the slaughtered animal animal will attain a higher rebirth in the cycle of reincarnation.

The 'Manu Smiriti' (200 BCE), a Hindu-law book gives the diet rules. It describes ritual sacrifice of specific animals and eating their meat for given purposes.

All animal-slaughter except for ritual killing was strongly condemned, with equal blame on the butcher, cook, and the eater.

In the centuries to follow, the principle of non-violence was widely accepted in part due to influence of Jainism and Buddhists.

By the time of Moghul empire, Hindus had quit eating beef. Upper castes Indians (specially Brahmins) had become vegetarians, the lower caste Indians (Shudras) ate any thing that was available.

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