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History of Jainism with Special Reference to Mathurā
Jainism in the Deccan at least from the fourth century BC to the beginning of the Christian era. 117 Jaina literary evidence credits the spread of Jainism from Ujjain to the Deccan and further south to Asoka's grandson Samprati; but we have no evidence to corroborate the Jaina tradition.18 But this is certain that the ruling dynasties of the Deccan provided greater support to Jainism than their counterparts in north India. 119 It is only from the time of the Calukya rulers and their successors that we get a fairly clear picture of the state of Jainism in the Deccan.120 Epigraphic and archaeological evidence indicates that Jainism was in a flourishing condition in the Deccan from AD 500 to 950.121 Jainism enjoyed the patronage of many Rāstrakūţa rulers, 122 some of whom were devout Jainas.123 Some feudatories of the Rāstrakūta rulers also extended patronage to Jainism.124 Dr. A.S. Altekar is of opinion that probably one-third of the population of the Deccan professed Jainism between the eighth century AD and the tenth century AD. 125
The spread or extension of Jainism to south India is generally attributed to the migration of the Digambaras to this part of the country. 126 We have already stated that Bhadrabāhu, the last of the śruta-kevalins, became the head of the Jaina Church in 317 BC. Bhadrabāhu predicted that a famine of twelve years' duration would ravage north India; he, therefore, decided to migrate to south India with his followers. 127 Scholars of south Indian history have mostly accepted the late Digambara tradition that the great famine of
117. HJM, p. 114. 118. Ibid., p. 115. 119. CA, pp. 403-6. 120. HJM, p. 116. 121. AOIK, P. 287; JSAI, pp. 245-7. 122. HJM, p. 117; Ibid., p. 247; ACHI, p. 102; MJ, p. 30. 123. Ibid.; ACHI, p. 102. 124. Ibid., p. 118. 125. Dr. A.S. Altekar, cited in AOIK, p. 287 and JSAI, p. 247. 126. AOIU, p. 419; MJ, pp. 3-4. 127. Ibid.; CHAI, III, p. 282; HJM, p. 81.
