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Introduction
The political and economic conditions play a vital role in the development of religion and art. As regards Jainism, it received patronage and support from the rulers of north as well as south India. However, in comparison to south India, the number of rulers embracing Jainism in north India is smaller.2 Jainism also remained a popular religion throughout amongst almost all the ruling dynasties and the masses, specially the business class. There are inscriptions from Kankäli Tīlā at Mathura, Osian, Khajuraho, Jalore and several other places which frequently refer to the śresthin (head of a mercantile guild), sārthavaha (a merchant), gandhika (perfume seller), svarṇakāra (goldsmith), vardhakin (carpenter), lauhakarmaka (blacksmith), nāvika (sailor), nartaka (dancer), veśyā (prostitute) classes from the general mass and different gosthis (guilds of traders) making significant contributions towards Jainism. 3
The contribution of north India in the development of Jaina iconography is of much more significance than what has been brought out. According to the Jaina tradition, all the twenty-four Jinas of the present avasarpiņi aeon were born in this region and it was the reason that most of the Jaina deities gained sculptural representations first in the region. The earliest Jaina images with their characteristic iconographic features, such as the falling hair-locks of Ṛṣabhanatha, seven-hooded snake canopy of Parśvanatha, the śrīvatsa, the aṣṭa-prātihāryas, the cognizances and the Yakṣa-Yakṣi pairs also make their first appearance in this region. However, the
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