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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
Indological subjects according to their needs and convenience. Today, on the whole, there is provision for at least one or two branches of Indology chosen from Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, or the Hindu, Buddhist, Jain religion, history, culture, modern Indian languages, literature, philology etc., Moreover, the German Oriental Society (Deutschen-Morgenlaendischen Gesellschaft)- has been doing commendable work in this field. At the beginning German Scholars gave much more importance to the study of Vedic culture. But later on they also studied on historical and scientific lines, the Brahmanas, the Upanisads, Scriptures, Grammar, Puranas, History etc., and held thier eminence among all European countries. In the field of Pali and Buddhism, however, their contribution stands rather second to that of the British and French scholars, But their contribution to Prakrit and Jainological studies, barring the work of just a few French, Italian and British scholars, is the highest and unparalleled onc, in respect of quality, quantity and variety.
It will not be wrong if we state that the first phase of Prakrit Research studies commenced with the publication of Hemacandra's Abhidhāna Cintamani by Otto Bohtlingk in 1848. After Bohtlingk have shined scholars like Buhler, Weber, Jacobi, Pischel, Hertel, Leumann, Winternitz, Schubring, Alsdorf clc., in the galaxy of German scholars in the vast field of Prakrit studies. » Among these scholars, several maintained an ideal tcacher - pupil tradition (Guru-Sisya-Parampara) by dedicating their whole life to such studies. In these days scholars like Klaus Bruhn in Berlin, Gustov Roth in Gocttingen and A.Melle in Munchen have sincerely and efficiently continued the work of Prakrit and Jainological studies. A few others, together with some of the Indian scholars like Tripathi, Pande etc., are doing appreciable work within some of the Departments or Seminars of other German Universities.
Now coming to A.Weber (Albrecht Weber - 1825-1901), we find that he was one such distinguished German Scholar who cultivated Indological and Oriental field with all dedication, reaped rich harvest and left for posterity. He was the first to write a
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