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NEW LIGHT ON ANTIQUITY OF JAINISM
[ By L. A. Phaltane Esq., B. A. LL. B. Pleader Islampur, District Satara. ]
Many have expressed their opinions about the antiquity of Jainism. Devout Jains cling to the belief that Jainism has no beginning while the non-Jaina scholars bring its starting time to a very late stage. The non-Jain scholars believed in the beginning that Jainism arose in the seventh century A. D. as a branch of Buddhism. But the modern research has taken the origin of Jainism back even before Lord Buddha and has assumed that Lord Parshvanatha must have been its founder. They are unwilling to give to it a date which would be earlier than the date of Lord Parshvanatha. If we were to depend upon the traditions mentioned in each religious literature we would find that excepting Zoroastrianism Christianity and Muhamedanism all religions claim that they existed from the beginning of the universe. But it does not stand to reason to assume that Almighty Nature contrived to send into this world several religions possessing most inconsistent idealogies traditions and modes of thinking at one and the same time. In this age of scientific and historical mode of reasoning the scholars are most unwilling to accept anything as true which is not supported by reliable proof and if anything is propounded before them without the backing of sound evidence that is considered by them as a tradition or a thing of imaginary importance. It is contended by the non-Jain scholars that the assumption that the Jainism was most ancient would necessitate references about this faith, its Tirthankars, and other important personages in the literatures of the neighbouring countries and as such references have not been traced, it is but natural and proper to assume that Jainism cannot lay any claim to prehistoric antiquity. It has been found that the civilizations of Egypt, Babylon and China are the most ancient civilizations and the Vedic religion also claims to go back over a long antiquity. As references to Jainism have not, upto now, been traced in the literatures of those countries it would be most improper to assign to Jainism a date which would be as ancient as the dates of those civilizations.
