Decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent

Buddhism, which originated in India, gradually dwindled and was replaced by approximately the 12th century. According to Lars Fogelin, this was "not a singular event, with a singular cause; it was a centuries-long process."

The decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent coincides with the spread of Islam in that part of the world, especially due to the Islamic invasions that occurred in the late 12th century. Another factor was invasions of north India by various groups such as Indo-Iranian Huns, Hephthalite Huns, Alchon Huns, Turco-Mongols, Arabs, and Persians, and subsequent Islamic destruction of Buddhist temples, shrines, and institutions, such as the Taxila and Nalanda universities, and religious persecutions. Religious competition with other Indic religions like Hinduism and later Islam were also important factors. The persecution by the Alchon Huns in the 5th century and subsequent destruction of Buddhist centres caused the decline of Buddhism in the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent. A similar process occurred in northeast, where Islamization of Bengal and demolitions of Nalanda, Odantapuri, and Vikramashila by Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji, a general of the Delhi Sultanate, are thought to have severely weakened the practice of Buddhism in East India where it previously received strong patronage under the Pala Empire.

The total Buddhist population in 2010 in the Indian subcontinent – excluding that of Sri Lanka, Bhutan (both Buddhist majority states), and Nepal – was about 10 million, of which about 7.2% lived in Bangladesh, 92.5% in India, and 0.2% in Pakistan.