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Chapter III
JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA
( 1300-1600 A.D.)
We have already seen that Jainism was fast disappearing from all states of Northern India, except Gujarat and Rajasthan. After 1300 A.D., things became totally different, as almost the whole of Northern India gradually came under the Muslim yoke. Several places of Rajasthan, however, continued to defy those hateful foreign invaders, who were bent on destroying the very fabric of the ancient Indian culture. Before the Muslims, the earlier foreign invaders were quickly absorbed in the Indian society, as they readily accepted the religion and culture of the superior Indian civilisation. But the Mohammedans, who were suffering from terrible inferiority-complex, and who were inspired only by malice and hatred, started demolishing Indian temples, belonging to all the three major Indian religious systems viz. Hindu, Buddhist and Jain, soon after their entry into this sub-continent. However, so far as the Jains are concerned, they were intelligent and practical enough, to keep a safe and honourable distance, from their new political masters, although, at times, they too, had to face the music of the new situation. Let us, once more, start our account with Gujarat, the citadel of Jainism.
Jainism in Gufarat : Although the Jains did not practically get any royal patronage, after the overthrow of the Vāghelās, they were lucky enough to enlist the support of some extremely influential merchants and landlords. And the most dominant figure in the history of Jainism in Gujarat, of the 14th century, was undoubtedly Samarasimha, popularly known as Samarā Shah. He
