Lessons of Ahimsa and Anekanta for Contemporary Life

Author(s): Tara Sethia
Publisher: California State Polytechnic University Pomona

Page 150

Mahāvīra's Teachings in Indian History
Textbooks
TARA SETHIA California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Textbooks play a critical role in the process of learning as "authentic” sources of knowledge for college students, who often know little about the subject matter. This is particularly true of college students in the United States enrolling in survey courses such as History of India. Many K-12 Educators (elementary, middle and high school teachers) also rely on Indian History textbooks to familiarize themselves about the subject matter in which they often lack prior training. One primary reason for this is that they are now required, at least in some states like California, to integrate India in their K-12 world history curriculum. Therefore, these texts, in addition to serving as authoritative sources for college students, inform the K-12 teachers, and through them their very impressionable students. One of the topics students are most interested in learning about India is the Indic religions. Of the major Indian religions, the least discussed in the history textbooks is Jainism.
In this paper, I focus on the representation of Mahāvīra and Jainism--India's ancient most Šramana tradition--in the Indian History textbooks. Jainism, as we know today, is rooted in the teachings of Mahāvīra. The Jain canonical literature, the Agams, not only serve a significant role within the tradition but are also regarded as primary sources for historians and social scientists, especially for writing about early periods of Indian history. Like Buddhism, Jainism has a rich tradition of art and architecture as seen in the temples, derāsars, sthānakas, etc; and is central to the
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