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Jainism in Bengal
Tsang about the Nirgranthas is of immense importance since he was a Buddhist monk.
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We know little about the state of Jainism in Bengal from about the 8th century A.D. to the close of the 12th century A.D. as no Pāla and Sena inscriptions make any reference to the Jainas and Jainism. This definitely shows the waning condition of Jainism in Bengal at least in the 8th-10th centuries A.D. The reason of its declination seems to be this that the Pāla rulers were staunch supporters of Buddhism and the Senas that of Hinduism. But its position seems to have considerably improved during the 11th-12th century A.D. This is evidently known from a large number of Jaina temples located at Harmashra, Bahulara, Kendua, Barkola, Pareshnath, Ambikanagar, Chitgiri, Chiyada, Deulbhira, Gaukul, Dharapat etc. in Bankura district, Pakbira, Budhapur, Suisa, Palma, Balarampur, Gholamara, Chara, Sanka, Para, Senera, Jhalda, Deoli etc. in Purulia district, Deuliya, Puchra etc. in Burdwan district, and Balihati in Midnapore district.13 Similarly, the procurement of many Jaina images from different parts of Bengal also shows the bright position of Jainism in Bengal. This is when many Jaina temples were badly damaged and converted into Brahmanical shrines. The declination of Jainism in the Pāla period and its rise in the Sena period is a point to be thoroughly investigated. To me appears that Jainism succeeded in occupying the seat of Buddhism when the latter lost its hold in Bengal after the Palas. This indeed gave much encouragement to the Jainas to raise their temples on the places listed above and manufacture Jaina images in stone and metal to install at places of their choice.
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It is not known for certain what happened to Jainism after the 12th century A.D. as we do not have archaeological and literary data } to show the presence of Jainism in Bengal at this time. Probably, it was merged in the Avadhūta sect of Bengal which had been well established in Bengal towards the end of the Pāla period. 15 This
