Joined Oct 2015
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India
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Did Shiva change from Non-vegetarian to vegetarian?
I am not aware of any important sources of Hindu religion asserting that Lord Shiva was / is vegetarian.
Have Shiva's worshippers changed from Non-vegetarian to vegetarian?
Secondly the question itself is not correct regarding Lord Shiva (or Hinduism in general). It should be about worshippers of Shiva or followers of Shiva.
Devotees of Shiva have evolved over many many centuries - and even today some are non-vegetarian while others vegetarian. As TomarRajput has pointed out (Post#3), even today some Hindu Brahmin priests are non-vegetarian. And certainly they were so in Rig Vedic days.
India had largely taken to vegetarianism by c. 400 AD
Practices of Vedic Hindus, say around 500 BC, included some animal sacrifices and some of them were probably meat eaters to a lesser or greater degree. But over the centuries, gradually Indians changed under the influence of Buddhism and Jainism.
Emperor Ashok (c. 250 BC), the greatest champion of Buddhism, says in his inscriptions that he did not like animal sacrifices. Also that in his kitchen the number of animals killed for food has been reduced and will be stopped completely soon.
By 400 AD, eating of animal flesh as food was abandoned by majority of Hindus by c. 400 AD. I repeat, majority of Hindus. Here is an extract from Fa-Hien, a Chinese traveller, who came to India in c. 400 AD in search of Buddhist books. He is describing conditions in a city in Madhya Desh (today's Uttar Pradesh and surrounding area):
"Throughout the whole country the people do not kill any living creature, nor drink intoxicating liquor, nor eat onions or garlic. The only exception is that of the Chandalas. That is the name for those who are (held to be) wicked men, and live apart from others. When they enter the gate of a city or a market-place, they strike a piece of wood to make themselves known, so that men know and avoid them, and do not come into contact with them. In that country they do not keep pigs and fowls, and do not sell live cattle; in the markets there are no butchers' shops and no dealers in intoxicating drink. In buying and selling commodities they use cowries. Only the Chandalas are fishermen and hunters, and sell flesh meat.” [1]
Even the above observation of Fa-hien says that a few people ate flesh. One can imagine that fishing comminuties living coastal areas must have eaten fish.
Revival of Non-vegetarianism among Hindus
The revival of flesh eating on a slightly larger scale could have come only after 1198 AD when Islamic sultans established rule in northern India. Still it
was individuals who practiced the trade. Later when the British came larger 'slaughter houses' for cows and other animals were set up near Cantonments.
Difference between Hinduism & other religions:
In Islam there was one Prophet and he banned eating of Pork by Muslims. For other types of flesh even the method of slaughter was specified (similar to that of Jews). Among Muslims also you will find some who are more westernized and eat Pork. If I remember correctly, Dominique Lapierre (in Freedom at Midnight) says that Muhammad Ali Jinnah was okay with Pork in breakfast.
In Hinduism also most followers revere the cow as a 'Mother' and beef is prohibited. However, just like Pork eating Muslims there are Beef eating Hindus.
But the prohibitions are very deep rooted and strong. You will recall, these prohibitions were the things which sparked 1857 rebellion in British India Army - not so much the fact that there was some deeper seated Indian / Hindu / Muslim identity. Both Hindu sepoys and Muslin sepoys revolted. British survived the revolt (good for them, unfortunate for us).
Nature of prohibitions in Hinduism and Islam are different: In Islam Pork is prohibited because the Prophet said so, while in Hinduism it is prohibited by deep seated belief system and social practice.
Reference
[1] A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS BEING AS ACCOUNT BY THE CHINESE MONK FA-HIEN OF HIS TRAVELS IN INDIA AND CEYLON (A.D. 399-414) - TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED WITH A COREAN RECENSION OF THE CHINESE TEXT BY JAMES LEGGE, M.A., LL.D. PROFESSOR OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE, OXFORD. AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.
1886. PAGE 42-43
