Book Title: Epigraphia Indica Vol 01
Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 357
________________ 322 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA. These facts, I think, show that Dharmasagara's statements regarding other schools can only be used with great caution. The events from the lives of the various Yugapradhanas reported in the inscription are for the greater part well-known, and those which are new, are mostly not particularly interesting. The account of the last Jinachandra's relation to the emperor Akbar, forins, however, an exception. The later Pattával, from which Dr. Klatt made his extracts, boldly asserts that this worthy oonverted the emperor Akbar to Jainism. The statements of our inscription are much more moderate and much more credible. They show, too, how the later fable arose. The Muhammadan historians admit, regarding Akbar, that " Samanis and Brahmanas managed to get frequent private intervieros toith His Majesty," and that "they brought proofs, based on reason and testimony, for the truth of their own and the fallacies of other religions, and inculcated their doctrines 80 firmly, and so skilfully represented things as quite self-evident which require consideration, that no man, by expressing his doubts, could now raise a doubt in his Majesty." As the term “Samanis" means ascetics, and includes the Jains monks, there is no reason for doubting the assertion that Jinachandra, the head of the great Kbaratara com. munity, was granted admission to Akbar's religious discussions. Nor is it incredible that the emperor granted him the two firmáns and the title mentioned in the inscription. More doubtful is the statement that Jinachandra pretended to perform miracles before Akbar, and that his pupil received the dignity of Acharya in the emperor's presence. With respect to the first point it must however be borne in mind that the Jaina Stris, even in the present day, claim to possess supernatural powers, and that, according to all accounts, they formerly often tried to impose on credulous kings by what can only be called jugglery. It seems to me, therefore, not absolutely impossible that Jinachandra may have attempted some trick in order to gain Akbar's confidence. In favour of the second point a note in Dr. Klatt's Pattavalt may be brought forward, according to which Jinasimha received the doháryapada in the winter of Vikrama Samvat 1649 at Lahore, which, according to the Muhammadan writers, at the time was the imperial residence. Nevertheless it is difficult to believe that Akbar should have gone to the Jaina temple where the ceremony must have taken place. The difficulty would disappear if we might take fripátisáhisama ksham to mean that Jinasimha accompanied his teacher into the imperial presence and was introduced as one worthy of the acharyapada. The remainder of the inscription, lines 40-52, contain the Pragasti. The pedigree of the founder of the temple, who belonged to the Osval clan and the line of Mantrin Bhima, is given as follows: Mantrin Champå married to Sahavade. Mantrin Mahipati married to Amari. Mantrin Vastupala married to Siriyade. . Mantrin Tojapala married to Mand. Såha Amaradatta" (the ornament of the Kukesa-race) married to Ratanade. Ratnakumyaraji married to Sobhagade. » Elliot's History of India, vol. V, p. 628. He seems to have been an adopted son.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528