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CHAPTER 22
CENTRAL INDIA
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
DURING THE PERIOD 1000-1300 THE COURSE OF POLITICAL AND CULTURAL history of central India was moulded by a few powerful dynasties, of which the Candellas ruled over the northern part (Jejākabhukti or Bundelkhand), the Kalacuris over the eastern part (Dahala and Mahākosala) and the Paramāras over the western part (Malwa), while the central part was ruled over for some time by the Kacchapaghātas. The rulers of these dynasties vied mutually in the arts of war and peace and were great builders and patrons of art, architecture and letters. Although the dynasts were themselves votaries of the Brāhmaṇical sects, they respected Jaina monks and scholars and extended liberal patronage to Jainism, as an influential section of the population of their respective kingdoms comprising merchants, bankers and official dignitaries belonged to the Jaina community,
That Khajuraho, one of the Candella capitals, had an influential Jaina population is shown by the presence at the site of a few Jaina temples which share the excellence of Candella art and architecture with other temples dedicated to the Brāhmaṇical faith. The Jaina community at Khajuraho was rich enough to patronize the guilds of sculptors and architects that built the royal foundations, as is proved by the close sculptural and architectural affinities between the Laksmana temple, constructed by the Candella king Yaśovarman before 954, and the finest local Jaina temple known as the Pārsvanātha temple, which is recorded to have been built in 954 by one Pāhila, who was honoured by king Dhanga. Khajuraho has quite a few other Jaina shrines and a large number of Jaina images of the tenth to twelfth centuries, the latest ones being dated in the reign of Candella Madanavarman (1129-63). The site of Mahoba in District Hamirpur, another Candella capital, is also full of remains of medieval Jaina shrines and images, some of them dated in the reign of the Candella kings Jayavarman (1117), Madanavarman mardin (circa 1163-1201). Besides Khajuraho and Mahoba, Deogarh, Chanderi, Budhi Chanderi, Siron Khurd, Chandpur, Dudhai and Madanpur, all situated in a cluster in or around District Jhansi, comprised important
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