Jain Journal 2008 04 No 04

SR No.: 520270
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 2008
Total Pages: 46
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 3 MB

Page 28

Jain Society in the Reign of Jain Kings Satya Ranjan Banerjee
From dim hoary antiquity down to the 16th century A.D., there were some Jain kings, though exceptionally very small in number, who ruled some small territories of the then India sometime in the history of Indian civilisation. History has not clearly recorded the society of the Jains in these climatic conditions of Jain emperors, yet we can form some ideas about the society of the Jains from some contemporary evidences. In this short limited space and time, I shall try to depict century-wise the position of the Jains in the reign of Jain kings vis-a-vis other contemporary emperors.
In the Pre-historic Age (3000 B.C. 1500 B.C.), history has not recorded any Jain rulers. But the Jains normally claim that they have traces of Jainism in the Mohenjodaro and Harappan culture. For the lack of any historical conerete evidence we are unable to comment on this point.
In the Vedic Age (1500 B.C. 6th cent. B.C.), we come to know from the Jain Hagiology that the Tīrthankaras were the rulers. Even then in the Vedic period we do not have any direct and definite evidence of Jainism. It is true that the word Rṣabha occurs in some of the Rgvedic passages, but what was his tenets and what doctrines of Jainism he practised is not as apparent as it was at a later time. Tradition says that Rṣabha (whose another name is Adinatha not found in the Rgveda) was the first Tirthankara who ruled this world for many years. Tradition further says that in his time agriculture system was first introduced and also the writing system in Brahmi - the name which became current after the name of the daughter of Adinatha. Tradition again says that the doctrine of Ahimsa was propagated and established by Rṣabha in Vedic times. However, we cannot frame our ideas about the society of India at that time from any Jain records whatsoever.
-
In a similar way, the Jain tradition says that all the other Tirthankaras, from Ajitanatha to Nami, i.e., from the second to the twentyfirst, equally ruled India and made sociological progress of the country. Tradition also says that all the Tirthankaras in the middle of