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The Oldest Living Religion - Sit P. C. Moghal writing about the prevalence of Jainism long before Gautama Buddha, informs that about 1885, Prof. Beal told the Royal Asiatic Society that there undoubtedly was such a faith in central Asia long before Buddhism was promulgated by Sākya Muni Gautama. Also that Sir Henry Rawlinson has in the proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society (Sept. 1885) and his 'Central Asia' (p. 246) called attention to the new Vihāra (Monastry) at Balkh and other monumental remains in bricks, as showing the presence of Kāśya pa there.
Now Kāśyapa, besides being the name of an ancient Jaina Muni and the Gotra of several Tirtharkaras was also the Gotra of Pārsvanātna. According to the Adipurāņa, Kaśyapa whose another name was Maghavā, was the founder of the Uraga Vamsa (a branch of the ancient Nāga family ) in which Tirthankara Pārsva was born,
The geographical name Kaspia ( or Caspia ) resembles Kāśyapa and in this city (i.e. Kiapishi) of Central Asia Hiuen-tsang in the 7th century A. D. also noted the appearance of the Niganthas or the Jainas,3 and about a thousand years before him the Greeks had similarly come across them near the north-west borders of India. Hence
1 Jain Gazette, Aug. 1906, p. 13.
2 J. S. B., XIV, 2 p. 13, Saṁkşipta Adi-Purņa, p. 27; 1.4.Q., 1, p. 460 and II, p. 28.
3 Beal, Sijuki--vol. I, p. 55. "This'' says Dr, Buhler, "points apparently to the fact that they (the Jaipas) bad in the north west at least spread their missionary activity beyond the borders of India'' --(The Jaipas).
4 M. C. Crindle--Ancient India--They referred to the Jainas by the words Gymnosophists, Sarmanas, Veretei etc. and scholars have now no doubt that these decote the Niganthas or the Jainas.
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