Emergence of the Buddhist Image Cult: Recovering the Role of Bhikkhunīs

While scholars like Gregory Schopen and Ananda Coomaraswamy have addressed the emergence of image cults in Buddhist art, the role of bhikkhunīs (Buddhist nuns) has remained largely understudied. This study recovers their agency by analysing inscriptions from key sites, including Sārnāth, Kauśāmbī, and Mathurā, that document their patronage of Buddha and Bodhisattva images. Figures like Buddhamitrā, Buddhadāsī, and Dhanavatī emerge as central contributors to early Buddhist visual culture. These inscriptions reveal that bhikkhunīs exercised economic, doctrinal, and social authority, actively shaping early Buddhist devotional traditions. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining epigraphy, art history, and gender studies, this study challenges the conventional male-centric narratives of Buddhist history. It highlights the pivotal role of bhikkhunīs in institutionalising image worship during the Kuṣāṇa period.