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SRATAXA BELGOLA-T3 SECULA IMPORTANOE.
121
in this matter, his racc shall be childless ; hc shall be a traitor to the god, a traitor to the king, and a traitor to the creed. The signature of all the merchants -Sri Gommala." 11
That the merchants of Savaņa Belgola asserted their rights when injustice prevailed is evident from another record dated A.D. 1296. In this inscription we have the interesting information of the assemblies of Jaina gurus and leaders remitting certain taxes, and the merchants utilizing the same for a-benevolent-purpose - It relates that in A. D. 1296 the assemblies of the Mala-sangha, consisting of mahamandala cūruas and rājagurus, having remitted certain taxcs, saving "We will not take any of these (five taxes, named), or any others, is respect of the devadůna wet and dry lands of the gods Gommaţadeva, Kamatha-Pārsvadeva, and Devaravallabhadeva of Bhandarayayya's basadi, or (of the gods) of other basadis," all the jewel merchants of the holy place Beļugula, the gaudaprajcgal (citizen- representatives) of Kabbahunātha-Aruvana, and others granted, for the enjoyment of Devaravallabhadeva, five gadyānas which a certain official named Sambhudeva had unjustly levicd as malabhraya (a kind of tax) from that god's village of Hūduvarahalli.1?
The existence of jewel merchants and their guilds for centuries at Sravana Belgola bespeaks great wealth and influence in that centre. But wealth brought with it pleasure and enjoyment, and this makes us refer to one more feature of Sravana Belgola. It is that referring to the existence of dancing girls in that city. These were in no way behind other citizens in their piety and large heartedness. An example of one such generous and devout dancing girl was that of Mangāyi. Two inscriptions, both of which are dated in about A. D. 1325, relate that she was the disciple of Abhinava Carukirti Panditācārya. She was “a crest-jewel of firm faith (in Jainism), and a crest-jewel of royal dancing girls." This devout dancing girl caused a famous caityā'lya named Tribhuvanacudāmaņi
om
11. Ibid, 336 p. 144. 12. Ibid, 347, p 150,
