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Sec. 4, HISTORICAL POSITION OF THE T. S.
A cavera inscription in Tamil on the Arunattar hill, Karur Taluk, Tirucchirappalli Dist., of the 3-4th centuries A.D., registers the order of a stone abode to be built for a Jaina monk Cenkayapan by Ilankatunko, son of King Peruńkatunkon son of Atan Celliru nporai.45 Siminali conposed the Lokavibhaga after Sarvanandi's Prakrit work written in Saka 350/455 (458/538 A.D.) which is not available to us. The Lokavibhaga quotes from the Tiloyupannatti and the latter from the former, therefore it is assumed that both were derived from Sarvanandi's work.47 Pallaḥkōvil copper-plate charter (Kanchi) of Simhavarman, father of Simhavisou (c. 560 A. D.) documents a land grant to Vajranandi of Nandi sangha. At Singavaram, Gingee Taluk, South Arcot, remains a record of sallekhana of Candiranandi Asirigar in the 6th centnry A. D. Mahendravarman I (c. 600-625 A. D.) is known as a Jaina adherent. and Hiuen Tsiang who visited Kanchi around 640 A. D. says that the Jaina monks were numerous there. Jaina epigraphs in Tamil land increase in bulk after the 8th century A. D. As to the date of the Manimekalai and Silappadikaram which are well acquainted with Janism, opinion is divided from the 2nd century to the 8th century A. D. Keralan inscriptions pertaining to the Jainas are said to be found during the 9th to the 11th centuries, and Jainism there is suspected to have been spread from Tamilnadu. In Andhra, the earliest inscription seems to begin with the 7th century A. D., which records a land grant of Ayyana Mohadevi, queen of Kubja Visnuvardhana, td a Jaina acarya, thenceforth Jaina incriptions increase in number.
East Indian archaeological firds of the Jainas in the Gupta period are reported to be very poor. Bihar owns two rock-cut caves of the 4th century A. D. at Rajgir, one of which came to be requisitioned by the votaries of Visņu. (Likewise a Jaina monastery at Paharpur was converted into a Buddhist vihara by Dharmapala in the 8th century). Paharpur copper-plate inscription of 479 A. D. refers to Nirgrantha Acarya Guhanandi. And some stone and metal images of Gupta era are available from Rajgir and Chause. North Bihar likely became the deserted area for the Jainas after the destruction of Pataliputra, however Hiuen Tsiang of the 8th century informs us that the Nirgranthas are numerous in Bihar, West Bengal as well as in Orissa 35, Mahārāja Raja Jhiraja Dharmadhara of the 3rd century A. D. whose gold coin was found at Sisupalagarh, Orissa, is suspected to have been a Jaina king of Mathura family, which, however appears to be a mere speculation. In the Darha yamsa it is stated that Gahasiva of c. 400 A. D. was converted to Buddhism from Jainism.54
No report seem to have been male as to the pre-Guptan archaeological remains of the Jainas in Central India. Three Tirthankara images during Ramagupta's reign, the 4th century, were discovered at Durjanpur, Vidiśa Dist., M. P, and some more Jaina images during his reign are available. Also Udayagiri caves near Vidisa record the setting up an image of Pärśva in the period of Kumaragupta I. A group of Jaina sculptures in the Gupta period is available from Sira Pahari, Panna Dist.,
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