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Bhagawan Mahävir's Nirvana, the Jain canon was for the first time written down. Just as south India is the stronghold of Digambar Jains, similarly, West India is the center of activities of Shvetämbar Jains. Regarding the migration of Jains to these parts of India, it is thought that the migrations must have taken place by 300 B.C. from eastern India. During this time, Jains were gradually losing their position in the kingdom of Magadha, and they had begun their migration towards the western part of India where they settled and where they have retained their settlements to the present day. Jainism flourished in Gujarat during the days of the Rästrakuta monarchs, many of whom were devout Jains, and it received a further spur at the hands of the veteran Jain ruler Vanaraja of the Chavada family. About 1100 A.D., Jainism gained a great ascendancy when the Chalukya king Siddharäi and his successor Kumärpäl openly recognized Jainism and encouraged the literary and temple building activities of the Jains. During the days of Vaghelas in the 13th century A.D., Jainism received patronage through the hands of Vastupäl and Tejpal, the two famous Jain ministers of the time. They were responsible for constructing the beautiful temple cities at Shatrunjay, Girnar, and Abu. Thereafter, even though Jainism did not receive royal patronage as before, it continued to hold its position and the numerical and financial strength of Jains gave their religion a place of honor, which is acknowledged even to this day. As in Gujarat, from ancient times the Jain religion also settled in the region of Maharashtra and flourished. In Maharashtra, ancient Jain cave temples are found in Ellorä (Dist. Aurangabad), Ter (Dist. Osmanabad), Anjaneri (Dist. Näshik), and many other places in the interior areas. Renowned and influential Jain saints like Acharya Samantabhadra, Virsen, Jinsen, and Somadeva were intimately connected with Maharashtra and had composed their sacred works and literary masterpieces in this region. From the 3rd century A.D., the powerful ruling dynasties like the Sätavähanas of Paithan, Chalukyas of Kalyan, Rästrakutas of Malakhed, Yädavas of Devagiri, and Silaharas of Kolhapur and Konkan extended their royal patronage, in a large measure, to Jainism. As a result, we find that the Jains and the Jain religion had a prestigious position in Maharashtra during the ancient and medieval periods. Jainism in North India
By 300 B.C., the migration of Jains began from eastern India to different parts of the country. One of their branches was firmly established in North India from the middle of the second century B.C and was settled in the Mathura region. It is in Mathura the second Vächana (Recension) writing of Agams took place around 265 A.D. under the guidance of Skandilächärya. It is clear that Mathura was a stronghold of Jains for nearly a thousand years up to 500 A.D. Another center of Jain activities in the North was Ujjayini, the capital of Maurya Emperor Samprati. There are several references to Ujjayini in Jain literature and the city has played an important role in the history of the Jain religion. During the Muslim period, Jainism could not get the royal and popular support it used to receive but it succeeded in holding its own without much trouble. During this period, largest number of Jain temples were either destroyed or converted in to Mosques. Jains had to hide the hand written scriptures and even temples. One such Jain temple was just discovered from under the mount of dirt in year 2002 in the state of Gujarat. This temple was said to have been built in 800 A.D. Jains did secure some concessions for their holy places and practices from liberal minded Mogul emperors like Akbar the Great and Jahangir. It is recorded that Emperor Akbar was very favorably inclined towards the Jain religion. In the year 1583 A.D. he prohibited animal slaughter during Paryushan making it a capital offense throughout his vast empire. This tolerant policy of the Great Mogul was revoked by his successor Jahangir. A deputation of the Jains that visited Jahangir in 1610 A.D. was able to secure a new imperial ruling under which the slaughter of animals was again prohibited during the days of the Paryushan. During the Mohammedan period, however, the Jains particularly increased in the native States of Rajputana, where they came to occupy many important offices in the state as generals and ministers.
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