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HISTORY
Purification of the soul is the purpose of living...purification is not achieved
through knowledge, knowledge being a relative quality." (see Thapar) Such statements result from misunderstandings of the Jain worldview. First,
Jainism maintains that there are two major categories of existents:jiva (soul or living) and ajiva (matter or non-living). Hence not everything
in the universe has life. Secondly, knowledge in its highest form, which in Jainism is known as kevalajnana, is a precondition for liberation. Also, the significance that knowledge occupies within this tradition is underscored in the dictum from the Dasavalkalika Sutra: "padhamam nanam tao daya," that is: first knowledge then compassion.
Jains in India and Abroad Some of the common impressions given in these texts can be illustrated by the statements such as the following. "Jains are prominent in Gujarat and Bombay." (see Wolpert and Metcalf and Metcalf) And, unlike Buddhism, Jainism "never spread beyond India..." (see Stein) These statements suggest that Jainism
has been a localised or regionalised religion and raise questions in the minds of the textbook readers: Are there any Jains in other parts of India? Did Jainism ever spread outside of India? According to the 1991 Census of India, Jains are spread all over in India, with major concentrations in Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Delhi - the largest concentration being in Rajasthan. Similarly, Jainism in the modern times, especially in the twentieth century, has spread to many different parts of the world via Jain diasporas.
In conclusion, I would like to underscore that my critique in this paper is by no means a reflection on the overall quality and value of these textbooks. Nor is the critique meant to question the expertise of the authors within their fields. The analysis does, however, point to a greater need, using the case
of Jainism, for historical accuracy, for a reflection of recent scholarship and research in the writing of textbooks, for inclusion of those aspects of a topic which are germane to its proper understanding, for a balanced interpretation of key concepts and ideas which make up
a religious and philosophical tradition and also their significance in the larger context of Indian history and culture.
This is a brief excerpt (selected by the editor) from the chapter Jainism and Mahavira in Indian History Textbooks from the recently published book Ahimsa, Anekanta and Jainism, edited by Tara
Sethia (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2004).
A detail of a Parikar of Mahavir in the private collection of Chandu Dodia Nairobi, Kenya
BOOKS SURVEYED IN THE CHAPTER MENTIONED ABOVE - Barbara D. Metcalf and Thomas R. Metcalf, A Concise History of india (Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001) - Peter Robb, A History of India (New York: Palgrave, 2002) - Hermann kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, A History of India (London: Routledge, Third Edition, 1998) - David Ludden, India and South Asia: A Short History (Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2002) - John Keay, India (New York: Grove, 2000) - Burton Stein, History of India (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, Third Edition, 2000) - Romila Thapar, A History of India (New York: Penguin, reprinted in 1990)
- Stanley Wolpert, A New History of India (New York: Oxford University Press, Sixth Edition, 2000) Jain Education International
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Tara Sethia is Professor of History and Director of Ahimsa Center at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). She teaches courses on History of India and South Asia, Women in Asia and a new course on Non-violence in the Modern World
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