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Social Divisions in the Jaina Community
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Deccan and South India, but they have migrated there from the North for commercial purposes. The Jaina castes in the Deccan differ in many respects from those in the North. In the first place, there are only four main castes in the Deccan, viz., Saitavāla, Chaturtha, Pañchma and Bogara, and three small castes, viz., Upadhyāya,111 Kambhoja 112 and Harada. 113 In the North we find a large number of big and small castes. The major castes have been already described and among the small castes a mention may be made of Golāpūraba, 114 Golālāre,115 Asāthi, 116 Ajudhyābāsi, 117 Nemā,118 Narasipura,119 Jaisavāla,120 Lohiya,121 Pallivāla,122 etc. Secondly, many castes in the North have their counterparts in other communities. Thus Agaravālas, Osavālas, Srimālis, etc. are found among the Hindus also. But in the Deccan the names of the Jaina castes are not found in other communities. There are no Saitavālas, Chaturthas or Pañchamas among the Hindus. Thirdly, while in the North in some Jaina castes Digambara and Svetāmbara divisions are found, in the Deccan there are no such divisions as the members of the Jaina castes in the Deccan belong to the Digambarasect only. We find that Osavālas Srimālis, Poravādas, etc. are in Digambaras as well as in Svetāmbaras but there are no Saitavālas, Chaturthas, or Pañchamasin Svetāmbaras. Fourthly, we have seen that a large number of Northern castes have been divided into Visās and Dasās and sometimes further into Pañchās and Adhäiyas, but it will be noticed that in the Deccan castes there are no such divisions. It will be remembered that the Visa and Dasā divisions arose mainly on the point of widow remarriage; and those who practised widow remarriage were relegated to the Dasā section. No necessity of dividing the castes on the basis of allowing or not of widow re-marriage was felt in the Deccan.123 This is the main point of difference between the Northern and the Deccan Jaina castes. Fifthly, it can be mentioned that while Jainas in the North are rich and follow commercial activities on a big scale, those in the Deccan are comparatively poor and are mostly agriculturists and petty traders. Sixthly, Jaina castes in the Deccan have their own Jaina priests, and they do not employ the Hindu Brahmins for ceremonial purposes as is done by many Jaina castes in the North.124 Seventhly, each of the four castes in the Deccan has its own Bhattāraka or religious head or Svami who has final power to fine or excommunicate any
