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a grant to the Jaina community of a piece of land for the construction of a stupa in memory of the monk. Both Bhanuchandra and his pupil were associated with the education of the Emperor's sons and grandsons respectively,25 and accompanied the Emperor to the Deccan. Both remained at court till Akbar's death wielding great influence, and were instrumental in securing rights to build temples in various cities and in enforcing farmans granted but not observed at times by local officials.
So much for the Jaina Svetambara Tapagaccha. While the predominant Jain influence on Akbar seems to have been from this sect, the Kharataragaccha was not unrepresented at the court. Smith was largely unaware of Akbar's connection with this sect and so has been Mr. Roychoudhury.
In 1591 hearing of a great Jaina teacher Jinachandra Suri presumably through Mantri Karamchand, a lay member of the Kharataragaccha, Akbar who was then at Lahore invited the holy man to the capital. Reaching Lahore in 1592,26 he gained the respect of the Emperor. In the same year he requested his patron to protect all Jaina temples, on hearing that the temples near Dwaraka were demolished by Naurang Khan.?? A farman was issued granting Satrunjaya and other Jaina places to Karamchand. 28 His disciple Man Singh with others accompanied the Emperor to Kashmir where fishing was prohibited in all the lakes of Kashmir.-9 Akbar conferred the title of Yugapradhan on Jinachandra and the title of Acharya to Jinasimha Suri. At the instance of the Suri fishing and animal slaughter were prohibited in Cambay for one year and in Lahore animal slaughter for the same period. 3° Other monks of the Kharataragaccha who are known to have had intercourse with Akbar were Harsasara and Jayasoma who secured a victory at a debate conducted at the court of Akbar.
Mr.Roychoudhury has been ignorant of the above relations of the Kharataragaccha Jains with Akbar. Following Smith he says, In 159031 one Siddichandra visited Akbar at Lahore and was honoured with a title. He was placed in charge of the holy places of the Jains in the empire. The tax on pilgrims to the Satrunjaya hills was abolished in the same year. 32 Smith seems to have made a mistake and somehow mixed up Siddhichandra with Jinachandra Suri about whom he knew nothing. While it is true that Siddichandra the pupil of Bhanuchandra had been with Akbar since at least a few years prior to Hiravijaya's death no other Siddichandra visited Akbar and received an honorary title and was granted the control of the holy places of his faith.
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Jain Education International
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| SR No. | 524620 |
| Book Title | Tulsi Prajna 2004 07 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Shanta Jain, Jagatram Bhattacharya |
| Publisher | Jain Vishva Bharati |
| Publication Year | 2004 |
| Total Pages | 114 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Tulsi Prajna, & India |
| File Size | 5 MB |