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116 THE JAINS IN THE DECCAN. legendary accounts." Vishnuvardhan's first wife was Santeladēvi, a lady disciple of the Jain sage, Prabachandra. This conversion of the king to Vaishnavism was a serious blow to the cause of the Jains in South India, for, it should be noted, that, at any rate, in ancient times, regal religions alone prospered. Cruelly persecuted by the Lingāyats, hated by the powerful Cholas and devoid of the mighty support of the Hoysalas, Jainism naturally succumbed, just as any faith might have, uncler such, distressing circumstances. Nevertheless, attempts were not wanting to restore the faith to its original greatness. Thus Gangarāya, the minister of king Vishnugopa, and after him Huia, the minister of king Narasimha Dēva, tried in vain to get back the lost influence of the Jains. But the rapid rise of Vaishnavism patronised by Hoysala kings, the systematic and organised opposition of Rāmānuja and a number of Saiva leaders and, last but not least, the severe attacks of the Lingāyats contributed to the downfall of Jainism in the Mysore country. It must not be supposed that Jainism was entirely rooted out of the soil. It was simply losing its vitality, being absorbed gradually in the rising sects of Vaishnavism and other Vedic faiths. A respectable number of persons still followed the faith but they no longer obtained any political influence. The later Rajahs of Mysore not only did not persecute the Jains
* Asiatic Researches, Vol. IX, Chapters 4 and 5 contain an extensive collection of such legends,
