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M.N.P. Tiwari & S.S. Sinha, Art as Potent Source of Indian History
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names of women of Indian origin in Kusāna inscriptions are- Ksudrā, Mitrā, Sucilā, Bodhinandi, Dattā Simhadattā, Gulhā, Balahastini, sivamitrā, Amohini, Dharmaghosā, Sivayaśā, Mitaśri, Jitamitra, Acalā. On the other hand names like Akka, Oghā, Okharikā, Ujhaţikā appear to be of foreign origin. Apparently the liberal Jaina social concept of equality without disparity of cast or class encouraged the business class and foreign people to embrace Jainism and contribute to its development by different means. This remained the socio-economic feature of subsequent period also. The inscriptions inscribed on pedestals of independent and four-fold (PratimāSarvatobhadrikā) Tīrthařkara images including Sarasvati image of 132 A.D. of Kusāna period from Mathurā reveal the universal concept of the Welfare and Happiness for All Mankind). The Jainas did have forceful impact on the contemporary ruling class also because they were having hold on the economy because of their active involvement in trade and commerce.
Kuşāņa Period: Mathurā (The Period of Beginning and Standardization)
Jainism thrived vigorously during the Kusāna period, but without any direct royal patronage of the Kuşāņa rulers. This is why we do not find any Jina figure on the Kusāna coins as well as in the art remains from their nucleus political domain of, Gandhāra region. But the variety of iconographic forms in the Kusana Jaina images and their profuseness must have been because of the existing well organised Jaina organisation at Mathurā and also strong support and patronage which in this case was from the masses as is evident from the Kuşāna inscriptions. The geographical environment and also the situation of Mathurā on the commercial route greatly helped in making the city a great centre of art, including Jaina art. The numerous Kuşāņa Jaina inscriptions from Mathurā referring to the donation made by Śresthin, sārthavāha, gāndhika, suvarnakāra, vardhakin, lauhakarmak, nartaka, prātārika (nāvika), veśyās, cotton dealers and different goșthis (traders community) towards the installation of Jaina images, at once suggest that the people following different crafts and occupations actively contributed to the development of Jaina art. Most of the inscriptions have dates, mostly in Saka era, which are very important from the view point of the reconstruction of Kuşāņa history and culture as a whole. These inscriptions also provide the exact identifications and dates in cases of the images of Sarasvati (Sarasvato- Saka era 54 = 132 A.D.), Rşabhanātha (Vrsabho or UsabhoSaka era 46 = 124 A.D.), śāntinātha (Šaka era 19 = 97 A.D.), Aristanemi (saka era 18 = 96 A.D.), Pārsvanātha (Pārsva) and Mahāvira (Vardhamāna- Saka era 5 = 83 A.D., 22 = 100 A.D., 29 = 107 A.D., 42 = 120 A.D., 50 = 128 A.D.) and Jina Caumukhi
2 G. Bühler, Epigraphia Indica, Vol. II, pp. 202, 208-210.