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________________ MATHURA INSCRIPTIONS Taking stock of all these facts connected with Vikrama and his period it must be said that they are based mostly on the long list of teachers, "often more or less apocryphal, which have been preserved by the modern subdivisions of the Jaina community," 1 and on the literature of the period in no way connected with the one under our consideration. What is to be discovered is whether these circumstances can warrant the conclusion that Jaina traditions are without any foundation, and that Vikrama, the most noted of the quasi-historical heroes of mediaeval India, is a purely legendary monarch. A thorough examination, as far as possible, of the various theories propounded in regard to this by different scholars has been made by Edgerton in his Introduction to his Vikrama's Adventures. Without repeating the arguments put forth by the learned scholar in their refutations suffice it to say that, leaving aside Vikramaditya, nothing can be stated with absolute certainty about many other personages in ancient India whose historicity is unquestioned esther on epigraphic or numismatic evidence. There is no reason why the reality of this "Hindu King Arthur"-a model for real kings to follow--should be doubted when it is based on "both Jainistic and Brahmanistic literature." To quote Edgerton : " It seems that the Pattavals, or lists of Jaina pontiffs, have the look of being in the main as reliable, certainly, as any other native literary source of Indian history (which, to be sure, may not be saying very much). ... I am not aware that there is any definite and positive reason for rejecting the Jainistic chronicles completely, and for saying categorically that there was no such king as Vikrama living in 57 B.C. Do we know enough about the history of that century to be able to deny that a local king of Malava, bearing one of the names by which Vikrama goes, may have won for himself a somewhat extensive dominion in Central India (for we do not of course need to swallow whole the characteristic Hindu exaggerations which could make him a universal Emperor) ?" 3 Besides Edgerton there are other scholars, like Buhler and Tatyney, who also defend the historicity of the Jainistic chronicles. "In particular," observes Di Buhler," must it be admitted that the persons introduced in the older, as well in the more recent. narratives are ieally historical characters Although it is frequently 1 Charpentier, op. cit, P 107. * Edgerton, op cit, Int , DP kuff - Ibid., plus. 197
| SR No. | 011067 |
| Book Title | Jainism in North India |
| 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 |