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Besides the spread of secular education among the Jains, the 20th century also witnessed the development of Jainology that happened along with Indological studies. With the donations of the Jain community, a large number of Jain Sanskrit vidyalayas (schools/colleges) were established in which the intending students studied free of charge subjects like Sanskrit language and literature, grammar, logic and Indian philosophy, in addition to Jain religious texts. In north India this movement was spearheaded in the early decades of the 20th century by Ganesh Pasad Varni, a Kshullaka who was instrumental in establishing, directly or indirectly, a number of Sanskrit vidyalayas all over north India, including the reputed ones at Varanasi, Arrah, Morena, Jaipur, Hastinapur, Indore, Jabalpur, Katni, Sagar, Mahavirji, Papauraji, Sadhumal, etc (See Varni 1948). These vidyalayas produced generations of Jain pandits, priests, and students who have helped in raising the level of knowledge about Jain philosophy and religion among the Jains.
Until about the 1960s Jains' contribution to the Indian public life in modern times was quite remarkable. With thousands of them serving jail terms and scores of them having sacrificed their lives as martyrs during India's independence movement (Jain, K.C. and Jyoti Jain 2006), the Jains' political participation was certainly exemplary, which was further sustained by their disproportionately high representation in the Constituent Assembly of India, and in the first few parliaments and in some state assemblies. It is only during the last four decades that their role in public life has significantly dwindled.
Historically, however, this has not been so. “The Jains, especially in southern and western India, produced a large number of monarchs, ministers and generals” (Sangave 2006: 134). Even the Jain saints were no indifferent to the secular affairs of the country. They were frequently consulted by the kings regarding political matters. In south India "the Jain saints were virtually responsible for the founding of the Ganga kingdom in the 2nd century A.D. and the Hoysala kingdom in the 11th century A.D." (Sangave 2006: 134).
As part of the Shramanic value system, Jainism puts a great emphasis on the establishment of egalitarian social order (Nevaskar 1978).
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Jains in India and Abroad
