An Outline of Jain History

Time: To 8th cent BCE
Political events: Increasing complexity of human society,
The Mahabharata war
Events in Jain history Other events in India Overseas events
  • The first 22 Tirthankaras: Rishabha to Nemi
  • Bharat, the Chakravarti
  • Vedic Samhitas Moses
    Time: 8th cent. BCE to 3rd cent. BCE
    Political events: The 16 Maha-janpadas, Magadh empire, Alexendar's invasion (327-298BCE),
    Chandragupta Maurya(322-298BCE)
  • Parshwa, 23rd Jina
  • Mahavira (599-527BCE) 1 , 2
  • Origin of Paryushana and Diwali
  • The Kevalis: Gautam, Sudharma, Jambuswami (64 years)
  • The Shruta-kevalis (106 years)
  • Upanishads, Buddha (563-483)
    Panini's Sanskrit Grammar
    Mahabharata, Ramayana in early form
    Zarthustra (630-553 ?), Pythagorus (581-497),
    Hellinistic Philosophers, Confucius(551-478)
    Time: 3rd. cent. BCE-5 cent. CE (about 800 years)
    Political events: Mauryas, Shungas, Shaka, Kushana, Guptas
    Huna destruction (450-500 CE) in North India
  • Orders emerge: Kottiya, Mula-Sangha
  • Kalinga-Chakravarti Ela Kharvela
    (2nd c. BCE)
  • Acharyas:
  • Popularity of Jain images in Mathura
  • Mathura (by A. Skandila) and Valabhi (by A. Nagarjuna) councils, 300-303.
  • Valabhi council 453 CE of Devardhigani Agama Lit.
  • Sanskrit gradually replaces Prakrit
    • Edicts of King Ashoka
      Manu-smriti
      Early Puranas
      Mahabharata, Ramayana in final form
      Kalidas (5/6th. c.)
      Decimal number system invented
      Stoics,
      Jesus (6BCE-30CE)
      Mani (215-276)
      Marcus Aurelius (161-180)
      Buddhism in Srilanka, China
      Time: 5th to 13th cent.
      Political events: Rajputs emerge, Turkish destruction, Slave dynasty
    • Acharyas:
    • Hummacha matha founded (8th cent.)
    • Rashtrakuta King Amoghavarsha (815-876)
    • Solanki King Kumarapala (1143-73)
    • Orders emerge:
      • Kashtha-sangha (9th cent)
      • Vrahada-gachchha (937)
      • Kharatara-gachchha (1024, Jinchandra Suri
      • Tapa-gachchha(1228)
    • Modern Jain communities emerge
    • Ministers Vastupal and Tejapal (Abu temple 1232)
    • Mahaviracharya, Mathematician
    • Jain contributions to early Hindi, Gujarati, and Kannada literature.
    • Gommateshwar at Sravana Belgola
    • Nagara temple style emerges
    • Later Puranas
      Shankaracharya (788-820)
      Ramanuja (1050-1137)
      Buddhism declines in India
      Widespread destruction in India
      Hellenism (Greek religion) declines

      Muhammad (-632)
      Islamic conquest of Iran (641)
      Buddhism in Japan, Tibet

      Time: 13th cent to 1526.
      Political events: Sultans, Bahmanis
    • Bhattarakas emerge (13th c.)
    • Pethad Shah & Puranchand (Tirthayatras, 14th c.)
    • Orders:
      • Lonka (15th c.)
      • Taran (15th c.)
    • Massive pratishtha by Papriwal (1491)
    • Continued evolution of Jain communities
    • Sayana Vedic comment. (1300-1386)
      Ramananda (14th c)
      Kabir (1444-1518)
      Chaitanya (1485-)
      Nanak (1469-1538)
      Vallabhacharya (1479-)
      Buddhism virtually extinguished in India
      Martin Luther (Protest. 1517)
      Time: 1526-1818
      Political events: Mughals, Marathas
    • Hiravijaya (1553-1595)
         Yashovijaya (18th c.)
    • Orders:
        Terapantha: Banarasi (1623)
        Terapanth: Bikshu (1759)
    • Jagatseths of Murshidabad(18th c.)
    • Nagarseths of Mathura (19th c.)
    • Tulsi Das (1532-1623) .
      Time: 1818-current
      Political events: British, independence of India, UN founded
    • Rajchandra (1867-1901)
    • Virachand Gandhi in America (1893)
    • Shantisagar (1873-1955)
    • Kanji-swami (Org. 1937)
    • Growth of orders
    • Overseas Jain settlements
    •  Tulsi & Mahaprajna
    •  Sushil Kumar
    •  Jinendra Varni (Saman-suttam)
    • Vivekananda
      Sahajanand (Swaminarayan) 1781-1886
      Tagore
      Gandhi
      Osho Rajneesh
      Buddhism, ISCON (1966) in the west
      Joseph Smith, Jr, (Mormons 1830)
      Bahaullah (Bahai 1863)
      Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (Ahmadiyya 1914)

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