Comprehensive History Of Jainism

Author(s): Aseem Kumar Chatterjee
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd

Page 21

INTRODUCTION
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Sanghada, which are first mentioned in the Periplus, a Greek work written by an unknown sailor, in the second half of the first century AD. The Angavijjā also provides details regarding the economic activities of that period. Other Jaina works like the Niśīthacūrņi, written in the seventh century, the Harivamsa, of the eighth, and the Yaśastilakacampū of the tenth shed much light on the economic activities of the post-Gupta and early medieval periods. An extremely interesting text, the Dravyaparīkṣā, written during the time of Alaud-din Khilji by Thakkura Pheru, is undoubtedly the only Indian work dealing not only with the coins of the Guptas, but also with the various early medieval dynasties like the.Pratīhāras, Candellas, virtually all the Cālukya kings of Gujarat, and also the coins of the Tomaras of Delhi. The coins of Tomara king like Anangapāla, Madanpāla, etc., are particularly interesting because not much is known about these, apart from the information in Pheru's work and that in the Kharataragacchabrhadgurvāvali, another valuable Jaina work.
The most important contribution of the Jainas was however in the field of historical studies, and they produced a number of first-rate historicans like Hemacandra, Merutunga, Rājasekhara, etc. and other writters of prabandhas. Hemacandra's (twelfth century) Dvyāśrayakāvya is one of the greatest works on Gujarat history, and the earliest. The first twenty chapters, in Sanskrit, are on Kumārapāla's predecessors and the last eight chapters, in Prākrta, are on Kumārapāla's activities. Welcome light has also been shed on great kings ruling outside Gujarat, like the Mālava king Bhoja, the Cedi king Karņa, etc. Being a contemporary and guru of Kumārapāla, the author has provided us with the minutest details relating to the religious and political activities of that great Jaina emperor. Much more comprehensive in scope is the history of Merutunga, called Prabandhacintamani, written in AD 1305. It is undoubtedly a great historical work, following Kalhana's Rājatarangiņā, although its worth has often been underestimated. The account of earlier kings like Vikramāditya of tradition, is somewhat fanciful, but from vs 802, the accession date of Vanarāja, his history is authentic and is confirmed by other literary and epigraphic sources. The name of Muñja's minister, Rudrāditya, given by him, is confirmed by contemporary epigraphs and the details of the struggle between the Mālavas and the Cālukyas of Kalyāna are also fully confirmed by epigraphs. He recorded the tragic end of the great