Comprehensive History of Jainism Volume II

SR No.: 002003
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Aseem Kumar Chaterjee
Publisher: Firma KLM Pvt Ltd
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 414
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, History, & Religion
File Size: 19 MB

Page 167

JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA
157
Shah was in the good books of even Gyāsuddin1, and this Muslims ruler was no other than the Sultan of Delhi, Ghiyās-Ud-din Tughluq (1320-25), who was an exact contemporary of Samarā Shah. We are told that he was made the governor of Telang and he built many Jain temples at Urangapura,12 The poet Kakkasari also gives the vital information that Kutubuddin, king of Delhi, had invited this great Jain merchant to Delhi in 1320 A D. This Kutubuddin is no other than Qutb-Ud-dīn Mubārak Sbāh 18, the third son of Ala-Ud-din, who ascended the throne of Delhi on April 19, 1316, and who ruled up to 1320 A.D. The account of Kakkasūri, therefore, proves that Samarā Shah, although a dedicated Jain, was able to maintain good relationship with contemporary Muslim rulers. He died in V.S. 1393 and in that year was written an account of his activities, by his guru Kakkasūri'.
A number of other Jains of Gujarat, openly worked for the promotion of Jainism in that state, in the 14th century. Jeśala Shah of Stambhatirtha (Cambay) erected in V.S. 1366, corresponding to 1310, a temple dedicated to Ajitanātha and also a paushadhašalā, 18 Desai in his monumentat Gujarati work on the Jain literature1', has given the names of a few other dedicated Jains of Gujarat, who had worked for the propagation of Jainism.
Jinaprabha, was another great Jain savant of that period, who was honoured by the Muslim Sultans. He travelled all over India and during his tour, he kept notes of his journey and incorporated them in his monumental work entitled Vividhatirthakalpa or simply Tirthakalpa which was written between V.s. 1364 and V.S. 1389.17 We will make a critical study of this work in our chapter on the Svetāmbara literature, but here we would like to comment on his relationship with at least one famous Muslim monarch viz. Muhammad Bin Tughluq (1325-51), who was his junior contemporary. In two places of this work, we get details regarding the relationship of that Muslim monarch with