Ashram Patronage

[Walker Trimble]

To secure an ancillary point I am making in a little project, I want to
assert that, as far as we know, there was little change in the patronage of
forest hermitages during the urbanisation of the Medieval period.  The
specific area on which I am concentrating is the Hoysala Dynasty in
South-Central Karnataka, but general trends would help to make the point.

Reason would dictate that, as it would not be a huge expenditure, kings
would still continue to fulfill their dharmic responsibility and support
a'srams even though temples grew to dominate religious praxis.

What do we know about patterns in the patronage of a'rams?  What sources
might emerge that would prove or disprove this hypothesis -- inscriptions,
references in literature (i.e., "King Ramendra has come into a bad way, no
longer does he support the tapas of the hermitage!" &c. &c.)?

My hunch is that there is not going to be much, and I will have to assume
that most empires would have maintained their a'srams.  But any information
that might pertain would be most welcome.

Thanks in advance,

Walker Trimble