Jinamanjari 1999 09 No 20

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

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of peace and ahimsa from the solid foundations of Bahubali in the land of Bharata.
Although the book does an excellent job of showing the appreciation of an eastern religion as voiced through a scholar belonging to a western tradition, it fails to throw light on any chronological or historical development of the documented evidences recorded. A chronological interpretation would greatly enhance this material, as would the inclusion of the early Jain monuments of Orissa and a more detailed study of the Krishna/Godavari river basin excavations such as Vaddamanu.
Dr. T.V.G. Sastri, Director of Archaeology Kundakunda Jnanpith, Indore, India (On North American Tour.)
Jainism in Andhra (As Depicted in Inscriptions).G. Jawaharlal Hyderabad: Akhil Bharatiya Sri Suwarna Jain Seva Fund. 1994 pp. 425.
Inscriptions are a very underutilized source for the study of the history of Indian religions. Dr. Jawaharlal has gathered 86 old vernacular, Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions which bear on the progress of Jainism in Andhra from ancient times to the 14th century. Based on these records, Dr. Jawaharlal has been able to report something of the history of many Jain centres, various Jain sects and a number of historical Jain teachers in the Andhra region. These inscriptions also report much about the relationship between the Jains and the various dynasties that ruled the Andhra country through the ages: while the Jains enjoyed the support of some royal families, they suffered persecution under others which all but destroyed Jainism in Andhra.
Half of the book is taken up with the transcription of the records in question, some of which are published for the first time or newly edited by the author. However, the book would have benefited from the inclusion of translations of these records, since old Telugu and Kannada are specialized fields.
Jack C. Laughlin Department of Religious Studies McMaster University Hamilton, Canada
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