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At the core of the social world of Buddhism was the alternative system of salvation provided by the Buddha. Representations of Marriage and Beyond explores this alternative by investigating the relationship between gender and history in Buddhist society, allowing us to trace the roots of subordination and hierarchical difference among men and women, monks, and nuns during this time period. Closely analysing three Buddhist textual traditions—the Jātakas, the Therῑgāthā and the Theragāthā— this book examines representations of marriage and gender relations in a period that witnessed far-reaching changes in economic, political, material, and social life.

Investigating and understanding the confrontations and contradictions inherent in the verses of these narratives, this volume explores the elusive everyday lives of lay Buddhist followers and their interactions with the wider society. Instead of being a social reformer, the Buddha, by way of the saṇgha, tried to provide an alternative to the tradition of marriage that was rooted in the caste system and contemporary gender biases. The interlinkages of these power structures, social hierarchies, and relations of production and reproduction based on class, gender, and sexuality have been examined in this book to rethink the social world of early Buddhism.