________________
Satya Ranjan Banerjee : Jain Society in the ReignofJain Kings
and which caused him to be regarded by the Vaisnavas as an incarnation of Kanhaiya." (pp. 290-91).
213
This beneficial act of Akbar granted in 1589, was recorded in one of the inscriptions at Satruñjaya.
In a similar way, another grant was made in the reign of Shah Jahan (1592 1666A.D.) under the seal of his second son, Murad Bakhsh, the Governor of Gujarat, by which the hill and surrounding district was given in perpetual inam to Satidas Javheri, a Sravaka and jeweller to the court."
The above survey as recorded here shows how the Jains were received socially by the then Indian society. Even the Jain kings who virtually could not do a great service to their community did not substantially render any social progress for the Jains, save and except, the establishment of Jain monuments, images of the Tirthankaras and making Jain religion as the state religion of his kingdom. As the social recorded facts are extremely scanty, it is difficult to pen a comprehensive picture of the position of the Jains in a society. But one picture is quite clear that the Jain monks, despite some adverse criticism at a later stage, have been honoured to a great extent throughout the history and the Jain laymen have been regarded as a part and parcel of Indian society.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org