Jains in India and Abroad

Author(s): Prakash C Jain
Publisher: International Summer School for Jain Studies

Page 18

History of Jainism
East India
Jainism has a long history since at least the 9th century B.C.E. when the Chaturyam Dharma of the 23rd Tithankar Parshvanath that emphasized Satya (truth), Ahimsa (non-violence), Achaurya (nonstealing) and Aparigraha (non-possessiveness) was being preached. Chaturyam Dharma served as precursor to Mahavir's religious and social order. East India therefore figures prominently in the early history of Jainism. Jainism enjoyed patronage of King Chetaka, the ruler of Vaishali, Kings Bimbasar (Shrenika) and Ajatshtru of Sisunaga Dynasty (642-413 B.C.E.), the Namdas kings (413-322 B.C.E.) and the Emperor Chandragupta Maurya (322-298 B.C.E.) of the Maurya Dynasty (See Jash 1989; Tiwari 1996). In this context it is also suggested that Jainism was also patronized by Emperor Ashoka before he got converted into Buddhism. He was also instrumental in spreading Jainism into Kashmir. The grandson of Ashoka, Emperor Samprati also extended patronage to Jainism.
Beyond Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Jainism appears to have been popular in present day Orissa and West Bengal (Mukherji 1997). In Orissa King Kharavela provided royal patronage to Jainism during the second century B.C.E. Jainism continued to be reasonably popular in Orissa until the seventh century C.E. The Chinese pilgrim Hieum Tsang who visited the region in 629 C.E. provides enough evidence to this effect. In Bengal, among other things, the indigenous people known as "Saraka" (distorted form of the word shrawak) are considered to be the Hinduized remanants of the early Jaina people (Sangave 2006: 114). Not surprisingly, some contemporary Jain scholars and voluntary organisations have been showing great concern about the development of Saraks.
South India
Jainism reached to South India in 3rd Century B.C.E., when in order to escape the 12 years long drought in North India Acharya Bhudrabahu led a Sangh of over 7,000 monks to Shravanbelagola in Karnataka. Emperor Chandragupta Maurya was the part of the delegation. During the Christian era in Karnataka itself a number of rulers from various dynasties such as the Kadamba (3rd to 6th century C.E.),
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