Jaina Archaeology Outside India

Author(s): Jineshwardas Jain
Publisher: Bharat Varshiya Digambar Jain Mahasabha

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BOROBUDUR (NANDISHWAR DVEEP TEMPLE / ISLAND)
INTRODUCTION: Early kingdoms: Two kinds of states developed in the Indonesian Archipelago: 1. those based on maritime commerce and 2. those dependent upon and capable of organizing large-scale labour power for cultivation of agricultural products for consumption and export. While the Kingdom of Srivijaya in southeastern Sumatra belonged to the first category. Of the dozens of polities that had emerged in the millennium from about 700 AD to 1600 AD, a few stand out for their superior attainments. These were: Shailendras, Mataram, Kediri, Singhasari and the Majapahit (16).
The builders of Borobudur-Shailendras:
The history of Shailendras is most important and most significant historical landmark of the Hindu period of India together with the Hindu colonies of Suvarnabhumi. Shailendras were fresh arrivals from India as is proved by the sanskrit inscriptions which are in Nagari script. King Sanjaya, son of King Sannah belonged to the dynasty of original kingdom of Shri Vijaya, Empire of Sri Vijaya was established in 345 AD and remained in existence till 750 AD when it was defeated by Shailendras in centrlal Java and was thus compelled to shift to East Java of Matarama dynasty. Sanjaya was a Shaiva according to his own inscription of 732. Here, I would like to mention that where ever shaiva word tradition is mentioned it meant Jain philosophy because Jains laid much stress on Nirvana the Siddha status or Shaiva (position of soul). Shri Vijaya was a great center of learning where Sanskrit language was the special subject. There are adequate grounds to assume that Shri Vijaya or Shri Bhoga were ancient Singapore. Sri Vijaya was a maritime empire which controlled almost islands of the east upto Phillipines. Borobudur was the creation of Shailendras whose king titled himself as Yavabhumipala.
Nalanda Copper plate: An inscription of 850 AD mentions three generations of Shailendra kings: Yavabhumipala Maharaja-nuga-tabhi-dana (great king of Yavabhumi whose name signified tormentor of brave foes), his son Samarai gravira and his son Balaputradeva [7]. Running from India in the beginning of 7th Century AD after a defeat from Cholas, the Sailendra family became the Master of a vast Maritime empire. The Shailendras were four Ganga brothers ( khyatriya Ganga Family belonging to the sacred river Ganga) vowed to conquer the world. The kingdom of Sri Vijaya comprised of 15 different states.