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The Government of Bihar established the Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology and Ahimsa, Vaishali in 1955 with the object, interalia, to promote advanced studies and research in Prakrit and Jainology and to publish works of permanent value to scholars. This institute is one of the six research institutes being run by the Government of Bihar. The five others are (i) Mithila Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning at Darbhanga; (ii) Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute for Research in Ancient, Medieval and Modern Indian History at Patna; (iii) Bihar Rastrabhasa Parisad for Research and Advanced Studies in Hindi at Patna; (iv) Nava Nalanda Mahavihar for Research and Postgraduate Studies in Buddhist Learning and Pali at Nalanda and (v) Institute of Post-graduate Studies and Research in Arabic and Persian Learning at Patna.
As part of this programme of rehabilitating and reorienting ancient learning and scholarship, this is the Research Volume No. 37 which is the Ph. D. thesis of Shreeranjan Soorideva approved by the University of Bihar. The Government of Bihar hope to continue to sponsor such projects and trust that this humble service to the world of scholarship would bear fruit in the fullness of time.
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