Monk and Monarch

Author(s): Vidyavijay
Publisher: Deepchand Banthia

Page 85

CHAPTER NINTH.
PUPILS.
Acharya Hirvijaysuri had become the leader of 2,000 Sadhus and lacs of Jains. He was constantly engaged in keeping the Jain community in peace and the Sadhus in proper order. Sometimes he had to face difficulties also.
When he was with Akbar, some haters of Jainism had created difficulties in Gujarat in his absence. Raykalyan, who was an officer at Khambhat, had forcibly made some Jains write out a document of Rs. 12,000. He had got the heads of several Jains entirely shaved. Some Jains were forced to leave Jainism. There was a great uproar in the Jain community due to this tyranny of Raykalyan. Suriji, who was at Agra, was duly informed of these happenings. He became very sad on hearing this. He could see that such tyranny should not be allowed and should be uprooted in its beginning; otherwise it may spread to other localities also. He called a conference of Jains and resolved to send a prominent person named Amipal to the Emperor. The Emperor was then encamping on the banks of the river Nilab. Shantichandra was also there. Shantichandra, Bhanuchandra and Amipal put the whole case before Abul Fazl. He advised Amipal to represent the matter to Akbar. Amipal went to him and told him in the name of Suri that pupils of Suriji were being molested in Gujarat. The Emperor at once wrote out an order on Mirzakhan, the governor of Ahamadabad, to punish those who were molesting the Jains. The order was dispatched by the Suri to Ahamadabad. The Jains of Ahamadabad sent on the order to Mirzakhan. Mirzakhan ordered the arrest of Raykalyan. Raykalyan was brought before the governor and was made to apologise before the Jain Sadhus. The document of Rs. 12,000 was cancelled.