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ADRIS BANERJI the Ājivikas. Then there were the dualists and monotheists amongst the followers of the Brahminical religion.
In these chaotic theological and religious conditions, two luminaries appeared in Magadha, one teaching extreme asceticism, and the other so-called majjhima patha. That they were received by a distracted people joyously is evident from the history of its (Jainism) survival throughout a period of genocide, persecution and conversion. It shows the depth of his teachings, which commenced, as the seals of Mohen jo-daro demonstrate in the milleniums, before the birth of Christ. The Age of Mahāvíra was the epoch that sent India with her teeming millions, on the path to meet their destiny. Its importance in the history of Indian civilization and culture is undoubted.
1.
A. Banerji-Origins of Jain Practices-- Journal of the Oriental Institute, Baroda. Vol. I, No. 4., pp. 308-316
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