1. CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Jainism is an ancient religion of India and right from hoary
antiquity to the present day it has continued to flourish, along with
other religions, in different parts of India. Jains, the followers of
Jainism, are, therefore, found all over India since ancient times. The
Jains are known everywhere for the strict observance of their religious
practices in their daily lives. That is why Jainism could survive in India
for the lust so many centuries. The Jains, in this way, succeeded in
continuing to exist as devout followers of a distinct religion in India.
But this is not the only distinguishing feature of Jains in India. In
fact, the most outstanding characteristic of Jains in India is their
impressive record of contributions to Indian culture. In comparison with
the limited and small population of Jains, the achievements of Jains in
enriching the aspects of Indian culture are really great.
Literature:
Perhaps the most creditable achievement of Jains is in the field
of literature. It is evident that right from the Vedic period two
different currents of thought and ways of life known as Brahman culture
and Shraman culture were prevalent in India. The Shraman culture is mainly
represented by Jains and Buddhists and of them the Jains were the first to
propagate that culture. That is why from ancient times we have the Shraman
literature besides the Brahmanic literature. The authors of this Shraman
literature have contributed their full share to religious, ethical,
poetical and scientific literature of ancient India. A close examination
of the vast religious literature of the Jains has been made by the great
oriental scholar M. Winternitz in his �A History of Indian Literature.�
�The Jains were foremost in composing various kinds of narrative
literature like Puranas, Charitras, Kathas, Prabandhas, etc.
Besides a very extensive body of poetical narrative, the non-canonical
literature of the Jains consists partly of an immense number of
commentaries and partly of independent works on dogma, ethics and monastic
discipline. They also compiled legends of saints and composed works on
ecclesiastical history. Always fond of storytelling, the Jain writers were
good story-tellers themselves and have preserved to us numerous Indian
tales that otherwise would have been lost. Kavyas and Mahakavyas too of
renowned merit have been composed by Jain poets. Lyrical and didactic
poetry also are well represented in the literature of the Jains. Apart
from these, the most valuable contributions have been made by the Jains to
the Indian scientific and technical literature on various subjects like
Logic, Philosophy, Poetics, Grammar, Lexicography, Astronomy, Astrology,
Geography, Mathematics and Medicine. The Jain authors have paid special
attention to the Arthashastra (or Politics) which is considered to be
worldly science par excellence. Thus there is hardly any branch of science
that has not been ably treated by Jain writers.�
The literature of the Jains is also very important from the
point of view of the history of Indian languages; for the Jain authors
always took care that their writings were accessible to considerable
masses of people. Hence the canonical writings and the earliest
commentaries are written in Prakrit dialects and at a later period
Sanskrit and various modern Indian languages were, used by the Jain
authors. It is not an exaggeration when Wilson says that �every province
of Hindustan can produce Jain composition, either in Sanskrit or its
vernacular medium.� It is quite evident
that the Jains
have enriched various regional languages and especially Hindi, Guiarati,
Kannada, Tamil and Telugu. Regarding the Jain contribution to Kannada
literature; the great Kannada scholar R. Narasimhacharya has remarked as
follows, �The earliest cultivators of the language were Jains. The oldest
works of any extent and value that have come down to us are all from the
pens of the Jains. The period of Jain predominance in the literary field
may justly be called the Augustan Age of Kannada literature.� As the Jains
have produced their vast literature in these languages since, very ancient
times, the Jains have certainly played a very important. part in the
development of the different languages of India. The medium of sacred
writings and preachings of the Brahmins has all along been Sanskrit and of
the Bauddhas Pali. But the Jains alone utilized the prevailing languages
of the different places, besides Sanskrit, Prakrit and Apabhrarnsha, for
their religious propaganda as well as for the preservation of knowledge.
The Jains thus occupy an important position in the history of the
literature and civilization of India.
Art and Architecture
Along with literature the Jains have always taken their due
share in the development of the arts in the country. The Jains have
contributed. their mite to enhance the glory of India in several branches
of art, and architecture. Compared with their number their contribution
appears to be imposing. It must be remembered that Jainism did not create
a special architecture of its own, for wherever the Jains went they
adopted the local building tradition. While in Northern India they
followed the Vaishnava cult in building, in Southern India they adhered to
the Dravidian type. Even though the Jains have not evolved a distinct Jain
style of architecture, yet it must be said to their credit that they have
produced numerous and finest specimens of architecture in different parts
of the country. More than any other sect in India the Jains have displayed
their intense love of the picturesque white selecting the sites for the
construction, of their sacred buildings like temples, temple-cities, cave
temples, stapes, pillars and towers. The Jains have erected their temples
either on lovely hill tops or in deep and secluded valleys. As the Jain
religion Considers construction of temples as a, meritorious act, the
Jains have constructed an unusually large number of temples throughout
India. Nearly 90 percent of Jain temples are the gifts of single wealthy
individuals and as such the Jain temples are distinguished for elaborate
detail and exquisite finish. Further the grouping together of their
temples into what may be called �Cities of Temples� is a peculiarity which
the Jains have practised to a greater extent than the followers of any
other religion in India. Such notable temple-cities are found, among other
places, at Shatrunjaya or Palatine and Girnar in Gujarat, at Sammeda
Shikhar in Bihar, at Sonagiri in Madhya Pradesh, at Muktagiri in
Maharashtra, and at Shravanbelgola and Mudabidri in Karnataka.
Philosophy
As Jainism is an original system, quite distinct and.
independent from all others, the Jains have developed a separate
philosophy which is regarded as a valuable contribution to the Indian
Philosophy. In philosophy the Jains occupy a distinct position between the
Brahmanic and Buddhist philosophical systems. This has been shown very
clearly by H. Jacobi in his paper on �The Metaphysics and Ethics of the
Jains.� The Jains call their theory the theory of multiple viewpoints (Anekantavada)
in contradistinction to the theory of permanency (Nityavada) of the
Vedantins, and to the theory of transitoriness (Vinashvada) of the
Buddhists.
Ethical
Code
As the Jams have evolved a philosophy of their own, they follow
a distinct ethical code based on their philosophy. The Jain ethics stands
as a class by itself in the sense that it is the only system which is
founded on the main principle of Ahinsa. It is quite clear that the
principle of Ahinsa forms the basis of various rules of conduct prescribed
for both the Jain laymen and ascetics. Thus one of the significant
contributions of the Jains is the Ahinsa culture. If the Jains are known
for anything it is for the evolution of Ahinsa culture and it must be said
to the credit of the Jains that they practised and propagated that culture
since ancient times. The antiquity and continuity of Ahinsa culture
is mainly due to the incessant efforts of the Jain Acharyas. Naturally
wherever the Jains were in great numbers and wielded some influence they
tried to spread Ahinsa culture among the masses. That is why we find that
the areas of Karnataka and Gujarat, which are the strongholds of Jains
from the beginning, are mainly vegetarian. In fact it is admitted that as
a result of the activities of the Jains for the last so many centuries
Ahinsa still forms the substratum of Indian character as a whole.
Political Life
The Jains also distinguished themselves in giving their
unstinted support for the improvement of political and economic life in
the country. The Jains, especially in Southern and Western India, produced
a large number of eminent and efficient monarchs, ministers, and generals
and thereby contributed to maintain and improve the political conditions
of the people. Not only the ordinary Jains but their saints or Acharyas
also aided materially to create the proper political environment necessary
for the resuscitation of life in the country. It is considered that due to
the keen. interest taken by the Jain saints in political affairs of the
country, Jainism occupies an important place in the secular affairs in
general. So far as Karnataka was concerned, Jainism, through its course of
one thousand years, was the example of a. religion which showed that
religious tenets were practised without sacrificing the political
exigencies when the question of rejuvenating life in the country was at
stake. That is why in Karnataka we find that the Jain Acharyas were not
merely exponents of dogmas, but turned themselves into creators of
Kingdoms. It is well known that the Jain Acharyas were virtually
responsible for the founding of the Ganga Kingdom in the 2nd century A.D.
and of the Hoyosala Kingdom in the 11th century A.D.
