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JAIN JOURNAL VOL-XXXVIII. NO. 1 JULY 2003
It is this opulent intermixture of sacred and secular outlook that is singular to Jaina inscriptions and relevant to all times.
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Karnataka is affluent in inscriptions. So far more thatn 25,000 inscriptions are discovered, out of which about 18,000 are published. The present work, Epigraphia Jainika, is an endeavour to bring together all the available Jaina inscriptions, and the corpus arranged methodically.
Many scholars entertain a wrong notion that all the inscriptions or almsot all the major ones, have been discovered and studied. But the real fact is that every year new epigraphs are still being discovered and studied. Thus our knowledge of the early period of Jaina history is being widened and sharpened. This corpus of Epigraphia Jainica cotains also a good number of new records which have incidentally come to light recently and not included so far in the published and revised volumes of EC, SII, KI, EI or MAR.
For instance, a hoard of the recently discovered lithic records from Koppala, by Prof. Hampa. Nagarajaiah, have added a glorious golden chapter to the socio-political and cultural history of the Gangas, the Rashtrakutas and the Calukyas of Kalyāṇa. With the publication of about new charters, an authentic history of Būtuga's sons, daughters and consorts has come to light. Nothing was formerly known about the place and date of the death of poet Somadevasūri, but the recently found inscription from Koppala affords an authentic record of these details. Numerous similar instances of the newly discovered records confirm that there is lot more in store to be unearthed and studied which will broaden and enliven the vista of Indian history in the Jaina context.
To define the methodology adopted in the present work :
The inscriptions are arranged topographically, District, Taluk and Village being the order of entry.
Chronologically also, as far as possible.
Numbering pattern of inscriptions-continuous numbers are provided to facilitate the reader for easy indentification.
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