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and the reasons that led him to change his opinion. The only thing he says while introducing the essay is (20): "One school of thought says that, in accordance with the historical view passed on to us by tradition and stabilized by evidences, Gautama Buddha had died many years before Mahavira. Another school of thought holds that, on the basis of the allusion found in the Buddhist scriptures, Mahavira died perhaps only a little earlier than Buddha. This critique is being written to discover the extent of the truth underlying this obviously discernible contradiction".
It is worth noting that Dr. Jacobi had already expressed his earlier view in the introductions to the volumes edited by him and they were published also during his life time. Nevertheless, why does not he again say his. earlier statement in the last article? It might have happened under some circumstances and we have not go deep with its complicacies now. Here we have only to see on what grounds he has based his novel theory and how far they are true. It is beyond doubt that Dr. Jacobi was. a profound critic, and re-examine, any fact on various touch-stones, before accepting it.
The Gist of Dr. Jacobi's Paper
After studying this paper thoroughly one comes to know that this article was not written only with reference to the date of Nirvana of Mahavira and Buddha, but one of the principal objects behind the writing of this essay was to bring to light the contemporary, political and regal conditions. The actual title of this essay, the Nirvana of Mahavira and Buddha and the contemporary Political Condition of Magadha also signifies the same fact. Also whatever he has written about the dates of the Nirvana is not only insufficient to lead the present controversy to a decisive phase, but it is a little unnatural too. The prinċipal evidence, which Dr. Jacobi has advanced in support of his changed opinion that Buddha was older than Mahāvira and that Mahavira survived Buddha by a few years, can be stated as follows:
'The Jain scriptures furnish us with a further detailed account of the later events connected with the wars
