Patrons, Temples and Pilgrimages: The Jain Community in Medieval India

This article argues that in medieval India processes of identity formation and hierarchies within the Jain community were drawn upon temple consecration and pilgrimages. The various events described in the Jain sources include pilgrimages, installation of idols, building and renovation of temples and interaction of the Jain pontiffs with the rulers. The presence of inscriptions and the writing of religious texts in Rajasthan and Gujarat on a very large scale clearly establish that this region was the hub of Jain religious activities, even when the sultanate and later-day Mughal forces made successful military campaigns to this region. The acumen of the Jain monastic community and the laity, rather than so-called spiritual superiority or charismatic powers, played a defining role in gaining concessions for the community. The religious symbols were used as forms of social manipulation. The Jain religious sangha was not a break with the lay society. The community formed itself by the efforts of individual elites who allied themselves through various symbolic acts and religious activities. Philanthropy was a part of a well-structured community organization. The relative independence of an ascetic institution was used as an agency by the Jain laity to ensure social dominance. The objective of this article is to set out certain areas for future research, as the range of the period under consideration is broad. Sources such as inscriptions, memoirs, historical narratives and hagiographical accounts substantiate the basic arguments as a prelude to deeper research on this theme.