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Chapter 8
Historical and Cultural
Importance of Jain Literature of Medieval
Rajasthan
G.N. SHARMA
There are several types of Jain literary works from which material for historical and cultural study of Rajasthan can be gathered, viz., inscriptional and literary. Inscriptional material is primarily inscribed on stone slabs, pedestals of images and copper-plate grants. These are mainly in Sanskrit, Prakrit and local dialects. They indicate palaeographic, linguistic, literary, political, social, economic, religious and artistic changes that took place subsequently. The literary sources consist in the texts and commentaries in the form of Purans, Kavyas, Charitras, Kathas, Dhohas, Stavans, etc., throwing lights, direct or otherwise, on diverse points of Jain thoughts, traditions and subjects pertaining to geography, religion, culture, medicine, music, dance, economics, etc. They are very important as regards to the list of Bhattarakas, Gachhas, Acharyas and their pupils. Sometimes the chronology of successive rulers, ruling dynasties and laities along with the accounts of consecrations are recorded. Very often the facts recorded by the Jain writers as eye-witnesses are very useful for our study. The main drawback of this kind of
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