Medieval Jainism

Author(s): Bhasker Anand Saletore
Publisher: Karnataka Publishing House

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MEDIEVAL JAINISM
kingdoms—The birth-place of the Hoysalas a centre of Jainism—The story of the Jaina guru Sudatta who helped Sala to build a kingdom critically examined—Identification of Sudatta with the help of a contemporary stone epigraphDigression into the early history of the Hoysala family_.Vinayāditya II and his Jaina guru Sāntideva—Ereyanga and the sage GopanandiBallāla 1-Vişnuvardhana-Narasimha I Ballāla 11–Narasimha III --Rāmanātha.
TROM a fugitive faith, Jainism became gradually the
dominant religion of Karnāțaka ; and for nearly twelve centuries (second century A.D. till the thirteenth century) it guided the fortunes of some of the most powerful and well known Karnataka royal families. This particular aspect of Jainism deserves a passing explanation. That a religion which had made Karnāțaka its abode only a few generations before its great rival Buddhism had cast its sway practically over the same area, should have, in spite of the opposition it met from rival faiths, and notably from the rejuvenated forms of Hinduism, persisted to do a great deal of material and spiritual good to the country is, indeed, most remarkable, especially when we remember that its votaries did not show any signs of increasing in numbers and its royal patrons, particularly in the thirteenth century A.D. and after, did not always shower on it the patronage it had received in the early centuries of the Christian era. But this success of Jainism for over eleven centuries is to be attributed not
1. The various Edicts of Asoka, not to mention other important sources, are in themselves sufficient proof to demonstrate that Buddhism had taken deep roots in Karnātaka in the Mauryan age. This question will be discussed by me in a separate dissertation. In the meanwhile read Rice, My & Coorg., pp 314 ; Hayavadana Rao, Mysore Gazetteer, I, pp. 295-298.