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The Historical Beginnings of Jainism*
by Prabodhchandra Bagchi
(1) Introductory
India has been called the "Land of Religions" and none can deny that she is really such. So many religious movements have never fallen to the lot of any other country and no other people except the Indians have ever been able to lay claim to such a unique religious evolution. Jainism plays an important role in this religious evolution and a complete history of Indian religions is an impossibility if duc regard is not paid to this religion.
But as yet, as far as the historical study is concerned, much systematic work has not been done in this field except the several valuable but isolated attempts made by Professor Buhler, Professor Jacobi and Dr. Hoernle. That more study, - and systematic study, - of the thing is an ultimate and immediate necessity, there can be no question and the reasons for this are not far to seek. Jainism is professed by one million and a quarter of the most influential part of the Indian people and the most interesting feature is that it has succeeded in continuing to be a living religion up till now its contemporary movements have almost died away. Even Buddhism cannot count anything more than an insignificant following as its own in India at the present day.
These very considerations, not to speak of the inquisitive sidrit of the antiquarian, urge one to look back into the past history of the religion. The first problem, one meets with here is, when did Jainism originate? Hence this slight attempt has been made to systematise the information available at the present state of our *This article was first published in the Sir Asutosh Mookerjee Silver Jubilee VolumeIII, ORIENTALIA Part-3, published by the Calcutta University in 1927
तुलसी प्रज्ञा अप्रेल - जून, 2005
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