Jaina Culture in Medieval Karnataka - (Dependency and Slavery Studies) by Julia A B Hegewald (Hardcover)
About this item
Highlights
- Why did the Jainas in Karnataka plunge from a position of supremacy into one of severe dependency?
- About the Author: Julia A.B. Hegewald, University of Bonn, Germany.
- 646 Pages
- Social Science, Slavery
- Series Name: Dependency and Slavery Studies
Description
About the Book
Jaina culture in Karnataka flourished from the early centuries CE, and by the eighth century had achieved a predominance which lasted nearly four centuries. Subsequently, however, the Jainas' influence waned and they became heavily dependent on riBook Synopsis
Why did the Jainas in Karnataka plunge from a position of supremacy into one of severe dependency?
After a steep and steady rise throughout the region from about the fifth century CE, Jaina influence waned dramatically from the late eleventh or early twelfth centuries onwards. In this publication, specialists in Indian history, religious studies and anthropology, as well as historians of art and architecture, discuss various expressions of this sudden and detrimental decline and explore the reasons for it, focusing in particular on the relations of the Jainas with Vīraśaivas and Muslims.
The evidence provided by the five international scholars, who offer insights from different disciplinal backgrounds, indicates that the reasons for the Jainas' loss of authority in the region were manifold. Certain internal triggers, such as changes in Jaina social structure and religious practices, adversely affected their position over time. In particular, however, the withdrawal of royal patronage, the success of the Vīraśaivas as traders, and the emergence in the area at this time of a number of competing religious groups caused the Jainas to slip into a position of strong asymmetrical dependency.
About the Author
Julia A.B. Hegewald, University of Bonn, Germany.
