Jain Inscriptions of Rajasthan

Author(s): Ramvallabh Somani
Publisher: Rajasthan Prakrit Bharti Sansthan Jaipur

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were non-Jain familios, yet the work of drafting was given to Ratnaprabh Suri because of his skill in drafting epigraphs and his knowledge of royal genealogies4. From his drafts, it is obvious that he had valuable information about Padmasingh, Jaitrasingh and Tejsingh rulers of Mewar. Ved Sharma, on the other hand, exerted his dexterity in imaginary and purely poetic descriptions of the concerned rulers in the drafts of his inscriptions dated5 V.E. 1331 (1274 A.D.) of Chittor and V.E. 1342 (1285 A.D.) of Abu.6 The Sundah inscription6A of the Maharawal Chachigdeva was also drafted by a disciple of Ramchandra of Brihadagachchha. It contains many details about the Sonagaras of Jalore and is the only notable inscription containing genealogical details of that branch of Chauhans. Important historical inscriptions :
Very few early Jain inscriptions are extant. A detailed note regarding the Badali (Ajmer Museum) and other early inscriptions is given in Appendix A. Recently two fragmentary records datable to the second century B.C. have been discovered from Dara? (District Kota), The name of a Shramana is mentioned in one of them. These inscriptions could be either Jain or Buddhist. From Noh8 (Distt. Bharatpur) a fragmentary inscribed piece bearing the word "Nirgranth" was unearthed. Its inspiration is Jain. No other early Jain inscription of any consequence has so far been found in Rajasthan. Pratihars :--
With the 7th century A.D. Rajasthan witnessed an immense increase in prosperity. The Pratibars came to power in Western Rajasthan and soon extended their sway over large territories,
4. Jain Pandits have also drafted a few more non-Jain inscriptions at Chittor.
Ramkirti of the Digambar sect composed Chalukya Kumarapala's inscription from the Samiddheshvar-temple of Chittor dated V. E. 1207 (1160
A.D.) (E.I, Vol. II P. 321). 5. The Bhavanagar inscriptions pp. 74-77/An Rep. A.S.I. Vol. V plate XXV. 6. I.A. Vol. XVI pp. 347-351. 6A. E. I. Vol. IX pp. 70-74. 7. Varada Vol. XXI No. 4 PP. 3-4. 8. Indian Archaeology-A review year. 1965-66 P. 67