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Lord Mahavira to their utmost satisfaction, his doctrine of multiple view-points (anekantavada). All of them were convinced and they, along with their pupils, were converted and they became the first and foremost disciples, i.e. Ganadharas of Mahavira. Many others became his lay-votaries (upasakas). Thus he established his four-fold order (caturvidha-samgha) comprising of male and female disciples and lay-votaries.
Before attaining perfect knowledge he was wandering alone and keeping silence. But now onwards he went preaching his religion from place to place with his large following. He adopted the language of the masses called Ardhamagadhi, a Prakrit dialect, for he knew that the general populace was not learned in Sanskrit, the language of the scholars. In popularizing his doctrine he obtained great support from the then-ruling families of Rajagrha, Campa, Kausambi, Avanti etc., who were related to him from his mother's side. Besides that, his great compassion, reticence and self-discipline created a great impression on the people of all classes and creeds.
Among his followers there were kings, queens, tribal chiefs, princes, princesses, merchants, farmers, potters and candelas (lowborn). Brahmins also joined his Order. Among his well-known disciples were King Siva of Hastinapura, formerly a mendicant; Anarya king Kirataraja of Kotivarsa; Queens like Siva of Ujjayini and Mrgavati of Kausambi; Princesses like Jayanti of Kausambi and Candana of Campa; and Merchants like Setha Sudarsana of Vanijyagrama and Poggala of Alabhiya. His other followers were Gangeya, a monk of the tradition of Tirthạnkara Parsva; Skandaka, a Brahmin mendicant of Rajagrha; Metarya, an untouchable, and so on. His lay votaries were Ananda, a millionaire agriculturist from Vanijyagrama; Varuna, a warrior of Vaisali; Setha Sudarsana of Rajagrha; Saddalaputra, a rich potter of Polasaputra, formerly a follower of the Ajivika sect, and so on. Believers of his faith were King Srenika Bimbisara of Rajagrha; Kalodayi, a heretical house-holder; Ambada, a Brahmin mendicant, and so on. Besides them, the Licchavis and the Mallakis were also his followers.
Mahavira walked from place to place as a peripatetic teacher for thirty years and spread the gospel of Ahimsa (non-violence) throughout the plains of north India from Kampily- apura (or Sindhu - Sauvira as one tradition goes) to Rajagrha. At the age
