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JAIN HISTORY LITERATURE and SECTS
E01 - History of Jain Traditions and Sects
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 recently discovered from under a mound of dirt in the state of Gujarat in 2002. 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 Mughal 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. However, this tolerant policy of the Great Mughal was initially 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 Mughal period, however, the Jain population particularly increased in the native states of Rajputana, where Jains came to
occupy many important offices as generals and ministers. Jainism and the Modern Age
According to the Government of India's 2001 Census Bureau: India's Total 2001 Population: 1,028, 610,328
Jain: 4, 225, 053 (0.4%) Of the total Jain population of 4, 225, 053 in India, the largest numbers of Jains (1, 301, 843) are in Maharashtra. Next to Maharashtra, the population of Jains in other states is Rajasthan (650,493), Gujarat (525, 303), Madhya Pradesha (545, 446), Karnatak (412, 659), Uttar Pradesha (207, 111), and Delhi (155, 122). It should be noted that most of the Jains in Maharashtra are in Mumbai and most them are of Gujarati origin. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Jain scholarship, education, and writings have become popular and been made available to educated masses in many foreign languages. Jains have become much more conscious of the wider public need of such knowledge. Without seeking to count heads of converts like many religions, Jains have become concerned with spreading knowledge of the Jain religion and encouraging adherence to its principles. In addition, for the first time in Jain history, Jainism has spread to Africa, Europe, and North America, where Jain communities have settled and flourished. Educational institutions have been endowed, and publishing of religious material has been supported. Particular Jain institutions, such as the refuges for sick animals, are maintained. Generosity to Jain causes, by people of all income groups, is a major Jain characteristic, but generosity is not confined to Jain causes alone. Let us now discuss a few examples of the prominent people who have been particularly concerned with the promotion of Jain faith and principles over the past century. In 1893, a "World Parliament of Religions" was held in the United States and the organizer sought a Jain representative. The invitation went to Acharya Atmärämji. As a monk it was not possible for him to travel, so the task of being the Achärya's representative and the first Jain to explain his religion to a major overseas gathering fell to Shri Virchand Gandhi, Honorary Secretary of the Jain Association of India. His lectures in the U.S.A. earned him a silver medal from the Parliament of Religions for his scholarly oratory. He continued his lectures in England, in all giving 535 lectures in the USA and England. One of his students was Herbert Warren, who became secretary of the Jain Literature Society, founded with Virchand Gandhi's help. Herbert Warren wrote many books on Jainism explaining the subject in a simple way. Virchand Gandhi died at a very young age of thirtyseven. A landmark for international awareness of Jainism was the 1884 publication of the first two volumes of Jain Sutras, translated into English by Hermann Jacobi. In 1915, an English writer, Mrs. Sinclair Stevenson, published a book "The Heart of Jainism," a sympathetic book but colored by a strong Christian missionary outlook. In 1925, Helmuth Von Glasenapp wrote a book "Jainism An Indian Religion of Salvation" in German and this book has now been translated into English. At a more
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Compendium of Jainism - 2015
