Jainism in North India

SR No.: 011067
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Chimanlal J Shah
Publisher: Longmans Green and Compny London
Publication Year: 1932
Total Pages: 66
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 3 MB

Page 173

JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA Jaina church. The ministership was finally given to his brother Sriyaka, who was already in the king's office. This is how the relationship between the Nandas and the Jainas stands. That the Jainas were powerful in the days of the Nandas as also clear from the Sanskrit play Mudra-Rakshasa, which dramatuses the story of Candragupta's accession, and tells us that "Jainas held a prominent position at the time," and that Canakya, "who was the prime agent in the revolution, employs a Jaina as one of his chief emissaries" Unlike the Saisunagas the Jaina records do not throw any particular light upon the political power of the Nandas They inform us only in a very vague manner that, with the help of the Jaina minister Kalpaka, King Nanda subdued many kings, and that, as we shall see later on, the last Nanda had to throw himself at the mercy of Canakya, who, being insulted at his court, had taken a vow to dethrone him and to destroy his power However it must be remembered that this is not the case with the Jaina annals alone As Dr Charpentier remarks, "The reign of the Nandas 18 one of the darkest even of the many hopelessly dark cpochs in the history of ancient India." The Nandas are followed by the Mauryas Why and where fore the Nandas were supplanted by the Mauryas as not yet clearly known, but this much is certain, that it is in connection with this landmark in Indian history that we get Canakya," the first economist of India, if not of the world" 5 It is strange that no detailed account of the dynastic revolution has survived. However from the classical accounts we have seen that the last Nanda "was detested and held cheap by his subjects" Furthermore, the Vast standing army of the Nandas which has been mentioned by PP 488-488, 698-695, Hemscanda, op cit, vv 8-82 Smith bas wrongly put un down 28 "Mantom of the zunth Nanda " Smith, Early History of India, P 49,1 % 1 - Sudharman, the first ponti, had died when first pontiff, had died twenty years after lus master, leaving you the mitre to Jamba, who held his high office for forty-four years, dying at a time neisy coincident with the accession of the Nandas After him passed three generatio of pontiits, and in the time of the last Nanda the Jaina church was governed by htgh priests, Sambhutavijaya and Bhadrababu , Charpentier, op cit, P 10%) Jacobi, SBE, Xu, P 287 ? w a fa, Adafyala-Sulra, p 480, Hemacandra, op cil, 10, 88, 84 Cf Narasimhachar, EC,1, Int , p 41, Rice (Lewis), Mycore and Coorg, D s Smith, Oxford History of India, p 75 * Charpentier, op and loc at Sammadar, The Glories of Magadha, p? 180