A study of the region around the early historical Buddhist monastery in Bagh, in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India; a special focus is given to the local cave art. The author argues that the visual art represents the religious assimilation by Buddhism, an approach caused by the process of transformation through three successive phases. The evolution of a Brahmanic class is also traced, together with the impact of Brahmanic ritual and class structures on the artwork of the monastery.