________________
[ 67
(ii) We also find that the names of some gatras have changed in course of time. Inscriptions were issued mostly by prosperous families and counting the number of inscriptions belonging to particular gotras, we can arrive at a rough estimate of their opulence sources. Among the more opulent gorras of the Oswals known from the inscriptions of Rajasthan were the Surana, Kankariya, Jamad, Tateda, Varadiya, Nahar, Bafna, Ranka, Chandaliya, Navalakha, Dangi, Nahata, Sancheti, Kataria, Pamecha, Lodha, Dangi, Bahura, Chopada, Bachchawat, Bohitthara, Sethiya, Muhanot, Singhvi, Soni and Bhandari,
Other Varnas :
The ancient social division of varnas still continued. Jain inscriptions, however, supply scanty information about non-Jain varlas.
The Brahmins, highest in the hierarchy of varnas, were generally respected by the others. But the Jains did not accord them much veneration. Considered members of a different faith, they were, sometimes, even held in contempt. It can be shown on the basis of literary evidence that the Jains made an effort to tarnish the image of the Brahmins, in order to eulogize their own faiths. Very few Jain inscriptions record the activities of Brahmins. The Abu inscriptions45 of V. E. 1287 (1230 A. D.) speaks of the Brahmins of Delwara, who were present at the occassion of the consecration ceremony of the temple. The inscriptions 46 of V. E. 1533 (1476 A.D.) and 1766 (1709 A. D.) speak of the visit of certain Brahmins to the Jain temples of Abu. The inscription incised on an icon installed in the Chintamani Parshvanath temple of Bikaner47 dated V. E. 1482 (1425 A. D.) records the name of an Ajmera Brahmin, Garga,
44. The Dhurtakhyan of Haribhadra (8th Century A, D.), Dharmapariksha of
Hariscpa etc, contain many such stories. 45. Abu II No, 250-51. 46. Abu II No. 394 47. Bikaner No.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
