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230 RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE JAINAS history-making seldom find a place in the ancient works of Hindus. Among the Jainas, however, the case is different. Since the time of their first literary activity they have been recording the most important historical events of the time. Authors and commentators mention, at the end of their respective works, the names of their spiritual predecessors and the works done by them. Jaina Patļāvalis - lists of the spiritual heads of the community, with a short sketch of their lives and description of the leading events of the time - are well known, and are being earnestly studied by German Oriental scholars and Professor Bendall of London. Jacobi, Klatt, Bühler, and last but not the least my friend Professor Leumann of the Strassburg University, have settled many points of Jaina history with the aid of these Pattāvalis.
The sacred libraries of the Jainas, established at various periods of our history for the purpose of facilitating to laymen the study of their philosophy and religion, contain thousands of manuscripts, some of which have not been allowed to be even looked at, for the reason that the Jainas, not being aware of the motives of the European scholars, are still apprehensive of the consequences of Mohammedan sacrilege and destruction of everything that is holy. The libraries of Patan, Cambay and Jessulmir have a worldwide reputation. A portion of manuscripts deposited in those libraries has been catalogued by Professors Bühler, Keilhorn, Bhandarkar and others. Distant seems to be the day when the European scholars will take an active interest in the philosophy embodied in those works. Four canonical works have been translated into English by Professor Jacobi in the 'Sacred Books of the East Series. Portions of others are translated by continental Orientalists. Almost the whole canon in original, with commentaries and Gujarati translations, has been published by the late Rai Dhanapatisinh Bahadur of Murshidabad. Some later works have been published by Bhimsinh Manek, the well known Jaina publisher of Bombay, now deceased. Much still remains to be done in the way of publication.
The Jainas have been a powerful and influential community in the history of India. Some of them held high positions under
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