The History of Jainism

In the previous section, we focused on Jain teachings. Turning now to a study of Jain history, we begin by considering the general place of Jainism in the context of Indian religions.

The Indian Historical Context

Earlier in this chapter we learned about the traditional understanding of Jainism’s founding figures: the tirthankaras of this world cycle, most notably Mahavira. Here, our attention shifts to the scholarly understanding of Jainism’s historical foundations, so we can observe some features of Indian religious culture that help situate the stories of the tirthankaras within a broader context.

Jains themselves do not regard Mahavira as having founded their religion. Historians, too, tend to agree with the traditional view that Mahavira himself followed an already established form of Jainism—possibly that of Parshva, the twenty-third tirthankara of this world cycle. Scholars situate Parshva’s lifetime in the eighth century bce. As noted previously, there are more sculptures in India of this tirthankara than of any other, Mahavira included, indicating his great popularity as an object of Jain devotion.

In the eighth century bce, the probable period of Parshva, Indian civilization was beginning an important transition. The Vedic period, named for the Sanskrit texts that form the scriptural foundation of Hinduism, was ending, as was the domination of the priestly leadership of the brahmin caste (Chapter 4). Now began a period of religious diversity that included philosophical speculation on the Upanishads (themselves, technically, the last section of the Vedic corpus) and religious movements that eventually gave rise to Buddhism and the devotional forms of Hinduism that continue today. Parshva, and Mahavira after him, fit into a general category of religious movements that emphasized asceticism as a means of spiritual development.

Perhaps because of Jainism’s belief in a never-ending succession of world cycles, Jains have not kept a detailed historical record of their own tradition. As we have seen, the dates for the lifespan of Mahavira are a matter of dispute, and so, too, is the place of his birth. The texts that contain the accounts were written hundreds of years after the fact. Similarly, much of the story of Jainism through its early centuries does not lend itself to precise historical reckoning. With the religious changes of the period around 1000 ce, the historical record begins to become clearer.

Jains’ lack of emphasis on maintaining a detailed historical record seems to be based on religious belief—specifically, belief in a never-ending succession of world cycles. What is the relationship in other religions between religious beliefs and the relevance of history?