Jaina Rock Cut Caves In Western India Part 01

Author(s): Viraj Shah
Publisher: Agam Kala Prakashan

Page 35

Introduction India, but also set up a regular administration (Sherwani 1973: 143). The region gained focal importance when Muhammad bin Tughluq shifted his capital from Delhi to Devagiri and renamed it as Daulatabad. This attempt was short-lived and the capital was shifted back to Delhi. However, there were a number of revolts against the Delh rule.
Finally, the rule of Delhi over Deccan was overthrown and a new independent kingdom was established by a number of Muslim chiefs under the leadershir of Zafar Khan, who ascended the throne of Daulatabad on 3rd August 1347 with the title of Alau'ddin Hasan Bahman Shah (Sherwani 1973: 149). The Bahamanis continued to rule the region till late 15th century, when slowly the empire was divided into five divsions and five different dynasties came into power: (1) Nizam Shahi of Ahemadnagar, (2) Imad Shahi of Berar, (3) Adil Shahi of Bijapur, (4) Baridi of Bidar and (5) Qutb Shahi of Golkonda.
The Muslims continued to rule till the Marathas, under the able leaciership of Shivaji, rose to power in the 17th century CE and established the Maratha empire.
Apart from these, there were many minor families, ruling as the feudatones of one or the other above-mentioned powerful dynasties in different areas of the region. Of these, the Silaharas were an important family. Though as many as ten families of the Silaharas are known to have ruled in Maharashtra and Karnataka, three families were prominent (Mirashi 1977: (i). (1) Silaharas of Konkan (around 800-1260 CE), ruling in the modern districts of Thane and Raigarh. (2) Silaharas of south Konkan (around 7651010 CE), ruling in Goa, former Savantavadi and Ratnagiri district. (3) Silaharas of Kolhapur (around 940-1205 CE), ruling in the modern districts of Kolhapur, Satara and Sangli in Maharashtra and Belgaum in Karnataka (
Mirashi 1977: i). These families were feudatories of Rashtrakutas. The first two families were subdued by the Chaluh yas of Kalyani, while the third family had more distinguished career (Majumdar, 1957 184). The chiefs of this family ruled as independent or semi-independent rulers after the fall of the Rashtrakuta empire and were defeated by the Yadava ruler Singhana (1200 CE to 1247 CE). Some of the families that ruled in Khandesh were Kumbhakarna in 4h century CE, Nikumbha and Sendraka during 5th to 7th century CE and Nikumbha during 12th-13th century CE. Although the definite nature of polity is not very clear, it appears that these families ruled as feudatories of contemporary ruling dynasties, probably quite independently in some cases.
JAINA CAVES IN MAHARASHTRA
There are about nineteen sites scattered in the western, hilly areas where over seventy Jaina caves were excavated during 1st century BCE to 14th-15th century CE. most of which emerged during 9th 10th to 14th century. These caves are located in the districts of Thane, Pune, Nasik, Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Osmanabad, Aurangabad, Beed, Latur and Satara, the largest concentration being in Nasik district. There are no caves in south Konkan and Vidarbha region (Fig. 2). Two of these caves were originally Hinayāna Buddhist viharas and were converted to Jainism during medieval period. While the caves at Ellora are ornamental and elaborate, most caves are simple excavations with profusion of icons.