Jainism by Vividus

Author(s): Ramnik V Shah
Publisher: Ramnik V Shah Canada

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the religion followed by the people at large was either Buddhism or Jainism.
There is the classic case of Emperor Ashoka, who after the battle of Kalinga, dismayed by the destruction and horror of war, renounced all fighting and announced his resolve to establish all-around peace by adopting and preaching Buddhism. He even sent his sister Sanghmitra to Ceylon to spread Buddhism overseas. The King Samprati, grandson of the great Emperor Ashoka, was a Jaina. During the 2nd century B.C. King Kharavela of Kalinga professed Jainism. He set himself up several Jaina images and thus promoted the cause of Jainism. Also during the time when Alexander the Great invaded India, he found many naked saints (Jainas described as either Nigganthas or Sramanas) on the banks of the river Sindhu (Indus) near Taxilla in the northwest frontier and was much impressed with their knowledge and penance. He even, at last, presuaded one of them to accompany him to Greece. Naked Jaina saints from India even went to Nubia and Abyssinia, central Asia, Sweden and Norway, Java and Ceylon and preached their religion there. During the reign of the great Maurya Emperor Chandragupta, royal patronage was bestowed upon the faith of Jainism, and it is recorded as a fact that the Emperor Chandragupta himself had joined as a disciple the march of Bhadrabahu to the south of India, when on account of severe and extended famine conditions in the north. Bhadrabahu, with a band of several Jaina saints, migrated to the south. With Shravanabelgola in Mysore as the central seat of Jainism, Bhadrabahu spread Jainism in the south, and the visit of Chandragupta was commemorated by dedicating a cave to him on a hill nearby, which stands today, known as Chandragiri. Mathura in the north was similarly the seat of Jainism during early centuries of the Christian Era, as is evident from a large number of inscriptions, images and other monuments discovered at both places. The Gangas, Kadambas, Chalukyas, and Rashtrakutas
all these royal dynasties of the south had accorded their pat
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