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PREFACE
M R C. J. SHAH is one of the pioneer students of the Indian JV. Historical Research Institute, and his work will undoubtedly be of great credit to his Alma Mater. Being himself a Jaina, he took up the early history of Jainism as the subject of his research, and the result of his studies is embodied in the present book.
Jainism is the most overlooked among all the great religions of India The present work will disclose whatever is historical and legendary in the early history of this religion, the doctrines of its founder, the divisions among his disciples, the spreading of the new faith and the continuous struggle with its sister-faith, Buddhism, which it has survived in the country that witnessed the birth of both of them.
Two limits will be found in this history of Jainism by Dr Shah-one geographical, the other chronological. Jainism was soon spread all over South India, and formed there a new community with different Gurus, different practices and even a different ritual. In short, the history of Jainism in South India is totally different from the history of Jainism in North India, and forms by itself a different historical unit. That is the reason why Mr Shah has limited his work geographically to Aryāvarta.
The other limit of Mr Shah's work is chronological. His history stops at AD. 526, when the list of canonical works of Jainism was finally drawn up in the Vallabhi Council. This event was a landmark in the history of Jainism. Prior to it Jainismi was in a state of primitive simplicity that was totally lost after the codification of its religious books. After this date Jainism appears crystallised, and loses its genuineness and sincerity. Mr Shah has selected for his work the early pcriod, which is much more interesting and of much greater cultural valuc
As regards the method followed in this work, nothing will. it is expected, be objected against it even by the most scrupulous historians Certainly there is never a human work totally flawless. This, and the fact that it is the first work of Mr Shah. will sufficiently. commend the following pages to the benevolence of renders and
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