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| The Jain Principle of Ahimsa,
history of Gujarat as Vimala-Shaha the Commander-in-chief Ministers Munjala and Shantu, prime Ministers Udayana, Bahada Vastupala, Tejapala Abhu and Jagadu; all of these were Jainas. Not only in the history of Gujarat, but even in the history of India, very few people can be found who can match with these devotees of Ahimsa in strength and valour.
A religion, whose fellowers are so brave and strong, cannot be said to be detrimental to the progress of a nation Ahimsa can never be the cause of slavery and weakness of any country. For it is seen that even those nations have lost their freedom who did not know what Ahimsa was, who were given to violence, who eat flesh, and who were even more cruel than the beasts of prey. The Romans did not believe in Ahimsa; they always eat flesh; but we do not hear their name to-day. The Turks have never given up their cruel habits, still they are going from bad to worse. Now come to India itself. The Mughal Emperors did not know what Ahimsa was; but still their Empire perished; on the other hand, the Peshwas never ate flesh, but still they were brave and strong. It is, therefore, clear that neither violence nor non-violence is the cause of the political progress of a country. It is the ability and application of the sense of duty on the part of the rulers that is responsible for this.
For moral progress or ruin certainly Ahimsa or Himsa are responsible, the tendeney of Ahimsa breeds purity in the heart of people, and the life of those persons only is considered to be noble who are pure-hearted. Without purity of heart, prosperity and freedom cannot stay. Hence Ahimsa is the main cause for the moral progress of a nation. Material progress is nothing when compared with moral progress;
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