Jain Inscriptions of Rajasthan

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

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the persuation of Ramdeva and Maharana Lakha. The Machind Jain temple inscription75 of V. E. 1494 recently published by the author, belongs to this family. Several colophons of MSS, SomSaubhagya-Kavya and many other literary sources furnish valuable details about it. The Chittor inscription of V. E. 1495 (1438 A. D.) speaks of the family of Gunaraj of Chittor, which was doing business at Ahmedabad.76 Shresthi Dharana and Ratna Pragvat, who were the residents of Nadiya (Pindawara) later moved to other places. Dharana settled at Ranakpur where he built the famous temple known as the Chaturmukh Vihar.77 Ratna moved to Malwa. His descendant Sahasa, later on, built the Jain temple at Achalgarh. The inscriptions78 of Pindawara dated V. E. 1469 and 1465 Ranakpur of V. E. 1496 (1439 A D.) and Achalgarh of V. E. 1566 (1510 A. D.) provide detailed information regarding this family. The Bachchawat family of Udaipur was also quite affluent for a long period. Several inscriptions of this family are known from Bikaner, Mandalgarh, Udaipur and other towns of Rajasthan. It had originally moved from Mewar to Marwar. When Bika founded a separate state at Bikaner, several families including the Bachchawats moved to this Jangal (semi-desert) tract. Later on the ruler of Bikaner became angry with them and the Bachchawats were cruelly massacred. The survivors settled in Mewar state. The Bafnas originally79 belonged to Jaisalmer, from where they moved to different places. In erstwhile Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Kota, Ratlam, Indore States etc., they held good positions. During the 18th century A. D., several Marwari families, including the Jains moved to the Deccan. In the 19th century A. D., when the East India Company became powerful, a good number of Jain families moved towards Bengal, Bihar, Bombay and Madras. This process still continues.
75. Edited by the Author in Sodh Patrika.
76. Journal, Bombay Branch of Royal Asiatic Society Vol. XXII p. 50/Maharana Kumbha by the Author p. 306-307.
77. Maharana Kumbha pp. 291-292/History of Mewar p. 144.
78. Abu V No. 374 Jin Vijay No. 307/Abu II No. 464.
79. Nahar III No. 2530, 2531