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THE WORLD OF THE CONQUERORS:
The history, literature, religion, and culture of the Jains
THE WORLD OF THE CONQUERORS
History has witnessed many conquerors. There have been conquerors of regions, lands, kingdoms and great empires. In contrast to the military conquerors like Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar or
Clive of India, the modern world has presented opportunities for some to carve out great empires in business and in property. Others metaphorically 'conquer' areas of scientific research, of sport, of entertainment and other such worldly affairs. These are, in a sense, external conquests. Often they prove to be fleeting and transitory. Great empires like those of the Romans or the British arise only to
decline. Business achievements and sporting prowess are overtaken by events. In our personal lives too, happiness and fulfilment often seem to elude us. It is in this realm of the personal that the Jain religion holds out both a challenge and a way forward: Jain' means conqueror, a conqueror of the self. In this work, we shall explore the world of those who have striven to achieve victory over the self and to gain the rewards that flow from it. These rewards are not of the fleeting,
contingent, material kind and the happiness achieved is independent of material
circumstances and events.
