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Śramaņa, Vol 58, No. 2-31 April-September 2007
In July, 1616 AD, Jahangir issued a second farman. It says that Viveka Harsa and Jayanand, the disciples of Vijayadeva Sūri, presented themselves before the emperor and begged for an urgent farman of the Jaina-monks who are virtuous and whose sole-function is the adoration of God. The farman was issued, ordering all the jāgīradārs and the administrative officers throughout the empire that they should allow these monks to attend their worship and devotion in perfect peace of mind, so that they may remain occupied in praying for the permanency of he victorious kingdom with happy mind."
But, two years later, in 1618 AD, Jahangir records, the death of Mana Simha (Jina Simha Suri), in his memories, a great satisfaction at the news of the death of Mana Simha, who was a leading member of the Kharataragaccha." He had incurred the bitter dislike for Mana Simha when he predicted, at the time of Jahangir's accession, that his reign would not last.for more than two years. This was mainly due to the fact that Mana Simha had sided with Khusrau and had prophesied the fall of the Mughal Empire. Moreover, the Jains were accused of having put temples and other buildings which were reported to have become centers of disturbances; their religious teachers were also accused of immoral practices."
Emperor Jahangir appointed Muqarrab Khan as Viceroy of Gujarat, who proceeded for the province and met Bhānucandra at Jalor where he was passing the monsoon season. The Upadhyāya submitted his complaints against Vijayadeva Sūri, the new head of the Tapāgaccha, and charged him with making common cause with the Sagar-group which was not following the behests of their late pontiff Hīravijaya Sūri. This controversy among the Jaina religious teachers of Gujarat had engendered considerable bitterness, leading to the rise of rival pontiffs. In 1617, at a plenary conference of Jainamonks held at Ahmedabad, a learned monk named Rāmavijaya was invested with the title of 'Vijaya Tilaka Sūri', and proclaimed the Acārya or Supreme-head of Tapāgaccha, thus depriving Vijayadeva Sūri of this position.
