________________
INTRODUCTION
vrir The crowning proof of the Indian trade will the countries on the shores of the Mediterrancan and the Red Scas before the birth of Jesus, is offered from the fact that during the reign of l’tolemy Euer getcs (B. C. 145-116), a llindu was found on thic Egyptian coast of the Reel Sea in a boat by himseil, speaking a language unknown to the people of that country. and whose ship had been wrecked there. The prominient headland on the south-cast coast of Arabia is namcd Ras-el-kubir-Ilimdi -- " The Cape of the llindu's Grave"- from the fact that navigation was considered dangerous in those times by the Arabs. The castaway Ilindu, however, on being taken to Alexandria, offereel to pilot an Egyptian ship back to India by the voyage he had himself made, and Euxodus was sent on this voyage of discovery, and reached India and returned safely to Egypt with a cargo of spices and precious stones. The greatest skeptic must admit that the land and sca-borne trade of India had given her a worldwide lamic not only for her gold, spices and silk, but for her rcligions and philosophics also.
Bucha, the founder of Buddhism, dicul in 543 B. C., and Mahavira, the last Arhat of the Jains, in 526, that is, 17 years later. Jainisin hus licen known to have cxistod cieni xefore the time of Bucidunt :11111 therefore is the oldest missionary religion in the listory of the world. Ishioka the Great, the Emperor of Northern India, was converted to thic faith of Buddha in 257 B. C., and his grandson, Samprati, later on was converted to Jainism, The grandfather and the grandson liave done for their respective religions what Constantine has donc foi Christianity.' Ashoka has left a number of cdicts in the form of inscriptions cut on rocks, caves and pillars and in the language will alphabet or thic time, and scat. tered all over India. The famous French scholar Sen
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
