________________
26
HISTORY AND CAUSES OF POLITICAL DOWNFALL.
Turning to history we find that the political downfall of India was due to other reasons. When Prithviraj fought with Shahbudin Chori and his Afghan invaders it was discord and dissensions amongst Hindus which caused his defeat opening the door to constant foreign inva.sions. The same is the case as regards subsequent crises in history. In the last of such crisis the Maharattas were in power and discord and dissensions amongst then! were the cause of the final subversion of the Hindus. In Poona and other places also the Maharattas lost to the British. Where is it that you find Jains as the cause of the political clownfall of India ? Look to the history of Gujrat. From the time of Vanaraj Chavda who was brought up by a Jain acharya Shilaguna Suri in 9th century, a long line of ministers made the country prosperous. They were great warriors, statesmen and diplomats. The inost proininent of them were Vimalasha, Munjal, Udayana, Shantu, Bahad, Vastupal, aud Tejpal. They made the whole Solanki and Vaghela period a bright chapter in the history of Gujarat. The Jain ministers Vastupal and Tejpal fought and defeated Muhammedans and established king Viradhaval at Dholka, and Gujarat was lost by King Karan and his Brahman minister Madhava owing to the immorality of the former and treachery of the latter. Last but:
