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PREFACE
The work entitled 'Lord Mahavira And His Times' deals with the history and culture of India during the age of Mahavira in the sixth century B.C. This age is marked by outstanding achievements in different spheres-political, religious, social, economic, artistic, and literary. It saw the beginning of the political unification of India under the hegemony of Magadha, and the propagation of Buddhism, Jainism, and other heterodox religious sects. A social code for the observance of the people was prescribed. Because of commerce and trade flourishing during this period, there was all-round prosperity. Besides, development in language, literature, and arts was no less marked.
Many an attempt was made from time to time to write India's history concerning one or the other aspect of this age. Of these attempts, T.W. RHYS's was the first to describe ancient India during the period of the Buddha from the Buddhist point of view, in his work 'Buddhist India' (1903). Being a pioneer work on this subject, it is indeed invaluable, though it was written at a time when materials indispensable to the author of such a work were scanty.
"The Social Organization in North Time', written by R. FICK, in 1920 A.D., based on the Fatakas of the Pali Buddhist canon. throws a flood of light on the social life of northern India during the Buddha's time. Based as it is on only one type of sectarian evidence and being concerned only with the social organization of this period, it does not, indeed, give a comprehensive picture.
India in Buddhist comes next and is
This work
J.C. JAIN tried to include in Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jaina Canons (1945), all the available materials of the Jaina Canon for the first time in the real sense with reference to social life. This is only an one-sided picture.
