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By the middle of the fourteenth century A.D. Jainism had travelled to the province of Tuluva, where in the centres of Varanga, Kerväśe, Nalluru, Mūḍubidre, and Bārakūru, it steadily rose into prominence till, as we shall relate in a later context, it gave once again strong impetus to the political events of the times. We have described the rise of Jainism in Tuluva in detail elsewhere.'
MEDIEVAL JAINISM
In various other localities like Javagaļ, Marați, Hañci, sāligrāma, Tēkāļ, Lakavalli, Eleyūr, Rāmapura, Kallahalli, Kummanahalli, Sakkarepaṭṭaṇa, and Hosaholalu,2 abundant traces of Jaina influence and culture have been found, thereby adding to the overwhelming testimony of epigraphs and literature that throughout the great extent of Karnataka Jainism continued for ages to be a great factor in the life of the people.
What was the contribution of Jainism to the history and culture of the three large provinces of Karnāṭaka, the Tamil land and the Andhradeśa during these centuries of its widespread influence? An answer to this question would mean a separate dissertation on the subject. But in order to complete our narrative of the history of Jainism in the mediæval times, we may briefly allude to some salient facts which may enable us to form an adequate estimate of the great part played by this religion in the history of the country.
One of the best claims of Jainism at the hands of posterity is that it contributed to the literature of all the three pro
1. Saletore, Ancient Karnataka, I., pp. 404-415.
2. M. A. R. for 1911, pp. 3,6,19; ibid for 1912, pp. 16, 36; ibid for 1913-4, p. 7; ibid for 1916, p. 8; ibid for 1917, pp. 9, 44; ibid for 1918, p. 5; ibid for 1925, p. 93; ibid for 1928, pp. 87-8; ibid for 1931, p. 25; ibid for 1933, p. 13.
