This thread will be about popular myths about Buddhism and how these myths have been used to cast a negative light on Sanatana Dharma. Let's begin.

Myth: Buddhism declined due to a "holocaust" or a large scale genocide in India when at one point it was the majority religion in India.

This is a very popular myth and is often presented as a proof that ancient India was equally as intolerant as abrahmnic religions.

First let's put one thing to rest, Buddhism was never the religion of masses in India, even at its zenith at the time of Asoka.

From Decline of Buddhism in India by KTS Sarao.

The reason is very simple, Buddhism became dependent on the very same thing which Buddha had warned against, Sanskrit and largely became a religion of academics.

Now, one thing is very clear among historians, there was no "holocaust" or "extermination" due to which Buddhism went extinct. It wasn't even extinct even in 19th Century in India!!

Xuanzang in seventh century states how the monks of Buddhism had retreated from debates in disgrace due to their arguments being shallow and superficial. No mention of a war.

Amusingly enough there IS a mention of a Buddhist temple being burnt in seventh century and it was done by a different Buddhist sect!!

Now, we turn to the ever present myth of Brahmins eradicating the "evil" Buddhists. Here are some of the arguments presented:

Now, is it true that some Brahmans vehemently opposed Buddhism? Yes. Did all of the Brahmans do that? Not even close. Forty percent of the Buddhist monks came from Brahman class.

In fact early Buddhist texts don't mention any hostility from Brahmans.

Even the "legendary" animosity attributed to Adi Shankaracharya is often exaggerated and his own writing doesn't shows any animosity towards Buddhists in particular.

To conclude, Buddhism did not suffer from a holy war in India.

PS, even at the zenith of hindu revivalism in Gupta period, Buddhists were not persecuted.

Now, there is some arguments that Puranas cast Buddha in a negative light. But same is true about Hindu Gods by Buddhist texts and it is fairly easy to conclude that Buddhists were much more hostile and in contempt of Hindu Gods than vice-versa.

Now, we come to the most famous example of persecution of Buddhists by a hindu king, Pusyamitra Sunga.

It may come as a surprise but even Romila Thapar casts doubts on such claims.

In the words of R.C. Mitra, "The tales of
persecution by Pusyamitra as recorded in the DivyÈvadÈna and
by TÈranÈtha bear marks of evident absurdity."

Furthermore the tales itself are anachronistic and fabricated. In fact one of the texts mentions Pusyamitra as a descendent of Asoka which is patently untrue!