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Social Divisions in the Jaina Community
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contracting matrimonial alliances. To illustrate, in the constitution of the Visā Srimāli sub-caste from Saurāshtra (i. e., mainly from Junagadha, Dhoraji, Vanathali, and Jetapura Talukas) it is laid down that their members should keep matrimonial relations with the Visā śrīmālīs living up to Bhavanagar, Veraval, Porbunder, Jamanagar and Mangrol and not beyond this limit even though the other party may be a Visā Śrīmālī. Moreover a bridegroom from Bhavanagar and other places must be below 25 years, a condition which is not applicable to the bridegrooms from proper Saurashtra.63
From the above discussion it will noticed that excepting a few features of the Hindu caste system all other features were more or less present in the Jaina caste-system. Among the Jainas the castes were not arranged in a hierarchical order of respectability, no restrictions were put on social inter-course between different caste members and there was no lack of choice of occupation. In all other respects we can perceive and gauge the influence of the Hindus on the Jaina caste system. The caste system is deeply rooted in the social organisation of the Jainas and in consequence a small Jaina community spread throughout the length and breadth of India is divided and sub-divided into water-tight compartments. So long as the rules of endogamy are going to be observed by the Jainas, these segmental divisions will perpetuate, a cultural gulf will be created between them and caste and sub-caste feeling instead of community feeling will be prominent. All the drawbacks of caste-system are present among the Jainas. Social effects of this system are described later on. It will suffice for the present to state that caste system exists in the Jaina community in a more or less old form and all its important features are discernible even now.
The number of castes in the Jaina community is so large that their investigation in detail will form a separate subject matter for research. 'Therefore the general information about some important Jaina castes in all parts of India is given below.
5. JAINA CASTES IN THE NORTH (1) Agaravāla or Agravāla
The Agaravāla is one of the most important castes of Digam bara Jainas. The Agravālas are found mainly in the United
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