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CHAPTER - 3
THE RĀȘTRAKŪTA FEUDATORIES
3.1. 'The Rāstrakūtas did not directly rule the vast territory they had conquered; some of their vassal chieftains were thoroughbred Kannadigas, fully imbued with the spirit and culture of Karņāțadēša. The buildings raised during the Rāstrakūta hegemony in their territories, therefore, show many surviving and thriving local elements'[Soundararajan, K. V: EITA: 1986: 109]. A concise study of some of the Jaina feudatories will very much substantiate the reality of this statement.
3.1.1. A study of collateral line of the Rāştrakūta dynasty also confirms, once more that, the Jaina faith had rooted deep in the length and breadth of the empire. A number of epigraphs and verses commend their varied accomplishments to a state of prosperity that Jainism was able to reach.
3.1.2. The lesser kingdoms were wedged in between the major states acting as buffers. These smaller political allies had their own share of contributions to the artistic and literary traditions of Jaina church. Total attainments of the Rāştrakūta times were shared by minor monarchs. Jaina creed received further boom in the courts of smaller states, which resulted in the increase of a sizable percentage of Jaina population. The fillip that Jainism received in Kārņāțaka under the Rāstrakūtas and their subordinate houses, has
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