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CHAPTER IV.
THE PERIOD OF SAIVA NAYANARS AND
'VAISHNAVA ALV
ALVARY
Brahminis n
of Jainism.
This period which begins from the sixth cen- Revival of tury A.D. is characterised by a great revival of and decline Brahminism which shook the heretical sects of Buddhism and Jainism to their very foundations. Buddhism had already lost its hold in South India, but the latter was, as we have seen, at its zenith. The Jains had played their role well; but they had stayed in the Tamil country too long. The mild teachings of the Jain system had become very rigorous and exacting in their application to daily life. The exclusiveness of the Jains and their lack of adaptability to circumstances soon rendered them objects of contempt and ridicule, and it was, only with the help of state patronage that they were able to make their influence felt. No longer did the Tamilians embrace the Jain faith out of open conviction; force and religious persecution were resorted to by over-zealous state officials who were always ready to execute the commands of bigoted Jain kings.
The growth and strength of any faith depend to a large extent upon the support it receives at the hands of the rulers. When they cease to patronise it or become converts to rival faith, large numbers secede from the movement. No wonder, therefore, that the followers of the
