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History of Jainism with Special Reference to Mathurā
Digambara sect at the time of the composition of the Kalpasūtra. Therefore, Buhler's conclusion that the division of the Jainas at Mathurā in gana, kula and sākhā in the Kusāna period on the lines of a list embodied in the Kalpasūtra is evidence of the fact that the Jainas of this city were Svetāmbaras 194 does not stand to reason. The split in the Jaina community of Mathurā, as will be seen later, occurred at a much later period. The two Jaina sects appear to have lived in harmony in this city. The inscriptions discovered at Mathurā do not contain hint of the split in the Jaina Church. We find no mention of ill-will or dispute between the Svetāmbaras and the Digambaras at Mathurā in contemporary literature also.
The Jaina life in the Kuşāņa period STATE OF JAINISM IN MATHURĀ Brāhmanism was the original religion of Mathurā. Available data proves that five or six centuries before Christ Mathurā was a predominantly Hindu city.195 After the advent of Jainism and Buddhism Mathurā became a multi-religious city. Brāhmanism retained its popularity in this city. 196 But inscriptions and sculptures bear testimony to the fact that Jainism and Buddhism were also popular in Mathurā during the Kusāna period. 197
Available archaeological data is a pointer that Jainism was in a flourishing state in Mathurā during the Kuşāņa period, 198 and, if the number of inscriptions belonging to this period discovered from this city is made the criterion of judgement, Jainism appears to have been as popular at Mathurā as Buddhism, if not more, during the period under review. 199 In fact, the Jaina inscriptions
194. OISJ, pp. 44-5. 195. P.V. Kane, History of Dharmaśāstra, vol. IV, 1953, p. 689. 196. MCH, p. 64; V.S. Agrawala, Masterpieces of Mathura Sculpture, 1985, p. 1. 197. EI, X, Appendix, pp. 2 ff. 198. Ibid., pp. 2 ff; JS, Introduction, pp. 1 ff; JAA, I, p. 52; HJM, p. 100. 199. ASIAR, III, p. 46; AJAA, p. 81.
