Charlotte Krause her Life and Literature

Author(s): Shreeprakash Pandey
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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her great contribution to Jainological studies, ours return was nothing but disdainful. As I came to know from her biography, that after her retirement from the post of a curator in the Scindia Oriental Institute, Ujjain and Deputy Inspector General of Female Education in Gwalior state, she approached L.D. Institute of Indo-logy, Ahmedabad, to get a research assignment but she failed. Was it not condemnable that we could not adjust to such a dedicated scholar in the field of Jainological studies. My estimate is that she had a pain of not being well recognised by Jaina community and at the result she developed indifference towards Jaina community and returned back to the Roman Catholic faith. She spent rest of her life till death (January 27, 1980) in the campus of the Roman Catholic Church, Gwalior, depending on the very small amount of her pension, without any financial support from Jaina community.
Well it is true that after her final establishment in India, some of her publications were more or less the reflections of a western observer on the social status of Jainas than a serious research work. They were critical in nature and so that they remain unable to have a good appreciation from the Jaina community. I am of the opinion that this was also one of the cause of indifference of Jaina community towards Dr. Charlotte Krause. But her articles/ works written in last quarter of her life got much recognition and appreciation in scholarly world. Dr. Charlotte Krause wrote in several languages such as German, English, Hindi and Gujarati on various aspects of Jaina philosophy, religion, ethics, rituals and narratives. In spite of her great contribution to the Jinistic studies no efforts were made to publish her works in a book form.
It is for the first time that with the efforts of Shri Hazarimullji Banthia, Pārsvanātha Vidyāpītha is publishing her complete works with a view to let the scholars know her contribution in the field of Indology in general and Jainology in particular. This present volume contains her fifteen articles and edited works in English, Hindi and Gujarati written on different aspects of Jainology.