Jain Journal 1996 07

SR No.: 520123
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1996
Total Pages: 58
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 4 MB

Page 10

SUSHIL JAIN ON JAINA POLITY AND SOMADEVA'S NITIVAKYAMRITAM
enthusiasm of some writers who have attempted to prove that India made notable contributions to the theory of politics".4
It is doubtful if similar views (as cited above) are still prevalent amongst the students and scholars of polity, considering the fact that so much has been researched and written on the subjects since the discovery and publication of Kautilya's Arthasastra in the early years of the present century, in 1904 by Professor Shamasastry."
Jaina contributions to the art and science of polity (artha/niti) have attracted little attention in recent literature or conferences on Jaina themes. For example, when a conference was held on 'Contributions of Jainism to Indian Culture' at the University of Udaipur in 1973, no paper was presented on Jaina-nīti.7
Even some Indian writers, when discussing aspects of Indian polity. have failed to acknowledge any Jaina aspect in ancient Indian polity. For example. Professor Law does not mention Jaina polity in his text," nor is there any entry under Jains,Jainism, or Ajivakas in the index, though Kamandaka is referred to on p.33, and Somadeva is mentioned on page 1, note 1.
5
This "Inleglect of the political potential of Jainism is curious...". says Stein. "In contrast to its generally acknowledged cultural significance, the political significance of Jainism has been little recognized by scholars". The only full-length book on the subject is that of Pande10 which while being very sympathetic to the Jaina political theory and Jaina concept of polity must be read with caution.
Still, if the status of Indian political theory from the Vedic and 4. ibid., p. viii.
5.
see. for example, L. Sternbach's Bibliography of Dharma and Artha in Ancient and Medieval India; and Bibliography of Kautilya Arthasāstra, 1973.
6.
7.
see Ramaswamy, p. 3 some discussion on this discovery.
see D.R. Chandra (ed), Contributions of Jainism to Indian Culture, Motilal, 1975.
N.N. Law, in his Aspects of Ancient Indian Polity. Bombay: Orient Longmans. [1921], repr. 1960.
Burton Stein. "All the Kings' Mana: Perspectives on kingship in medieval south India', in J.F. Richards (ed), Kingship and Authority in South Asia. University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1978; repr. in author's All the Kings' Mana: Papers on Medieval South Indian History, New Era Publications, Madras, 1984, pp. 1-67 p. 12.
10. G.C. Pande, Jaina Political Thought. Prakrit Bharati Sansthan, Jaipur,
1984.
8.
9.