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ANCIENT INDIAN POLITY AS DEPICTED IN JAIN
CANONICAL LITERATURE
Nagendra Kr. Singh
The present paper is analylitical study of the Contribution of Jain Canonical Liturature in Origin and development of Ancient Indian Political philosophy. The most important Canonical works are the Jaina Sūtras", which date are not definitely known. It is said that the existing Jain Canonical literature belong to different Chronological strata. Its earlier portion are possibly traceable to the period of the first disciples of Mahāvira Gautama, while its later portions are probably not older than the middle of the fifth and begining of the sixth century AD., when the sacred literatures were
cted and written down (according to the Jaina tradition) at famous Council held at Valabhi 1 Prof. H. Jacobi wrote in 1894 that the exact date of the Composition of the Jaina Sūtras cannot be satisfactory solved. He said that most part of the Jaina sūtras were old. The first edition of the Jaipa Canonical works took place under the Venerable Devardhigani in 453 A.D 2
The most important Canonical literature are the "Uttarādhyayan Sūtra" and the " Ācāranga Sutra, which enlights us on the concept of political philosophy. The former enlights us on the concept of monarchy and the latter on the concepi of anarchy or the form of kingless state It refers also to a constitution like that of the Andhaka Vrishnis. it uses the terms Viruddha rajya 3 and Ikşavāku Janapad i.e. Koshala transforming itself into kāsi-koshala. The Commentary of Visheshāvashyaka Bhāsya describes the Concept of devine right theory. It mentions five categories of gods among whom the human gods occupy the second place and the king is also included. Another Jaina work "Bhagwati Sūtro" gives the concept of 'Republic state. If referes to sixteen Mahajanapadas with slight variations.
In the "Uttarādhyāna Sutra", there is an interesting description of the ideals of ksatriyahood and the concept of Monarchy. Concerning the former, the following conversation between Nami, who had descended from the world of gods, and was born as a man and the god Indra, disguised as a Brahmana', are more important reference to the relation of politics to Ethics. When Nami renounced his throne
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