1) Ancient India was a land of many 'belirfs' (religions) - there were differences even among hindu believers. Multiculturalism was real and acceptable in the East in the past.

2) "The Buddha" a) was a member of a respectable" (hidi) "class"; b) his message was normalising differences between (hindi) classes - in quite logical and peaceful way - so motivated change -in harmony-; c) by shaving, dressing and living in "basic" sufficiency, the Buddha showed no "threat" to "power" of "rulers" (until after His death, when later Buddhist monks became "deviated" from the prescribed "vinaya" (much like Dhammakāya of today) that ruling power took actions and as the result "Buddhism was "purged" from India, then; d) the Buddha also promoted "logical thinking", fact verification, learning,... for "happiness" (by dealing with sources of "dukkha" - taṅhā) -- in modern term, He was teaching a modern scientific regime (for ancient India) and (ancient) intellectuals saw and understood his message. It was "hip" for the time. ... there were many more things that "clicked in" in ancient societies ...

3) let us return to "studying - critically" the teaching of the Buddha and restore the Knowledge (Buddhist/whatever the name) society.