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Jaida Grapths Bhandars in R5jasthan,
1841
(1) Historical Importance,
(2) Literary Centres. (3) Educational Centres.
(4) Material for Art and Painting.
(5)
Treasure houses of earliest manuscripts
(6)
Treasure houses of non-Jaina works,
1. HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE
The Grantha Bhandārs are very important from the historical point of view. There are several works exclusively on the subject of History Besides, we find that the authors and copyists of the manuscripts give some description of the rulers, cities or towns where they wrote or copied and the patrons who encouraged learning, Such colophons called prasastis, are written generally either at the end or in the beginning of the works. On the basis of these, the time of many rulers can be determined and history of old cities and towns can be prepared. As manuscripts dated from 10th century onwards are available, so a history of past one thousand years can be reconstructed also on the basis of the material found in the Jaina Grantha Bhandārs.
There is a manuscript in the Sāstra Bhandār of Pandya Lünakaran or Jaipur, which gives the description of the emperors who had been on the Delhi throne. It also describes the history of the foundation of Delhi. According to it, it was in the time of Anangapal that the city was founded and called Dhıllı. The same word Dhilli' for Delhi was used by Sridhara an Apabhramsa scholar of the 12th century in his Pašanāh Cariu'. Similarly in the Šāstra Bhandar of Jaina temple Terapanthi, Jaipur there is a manuscript called “Rājavansa Varnan" which presents a complete description of the rulers of Delhi from the Påndavas onwards. It gives years and months of the reign of various rulers. For example about Prathavs-Rāja of Delhi, the author says.
1. faepartyfez gafas fofat, frent agzfett eumefantfer
सणवासी एयारहसएहि, परिवाडिए परिसह कसरपटउमीहि प्रागहरणमासि, रविवारि समाखिज सिसिरमासि ।।
