Jainism - History

History

Jainism timeline

Pre-history
Prior to 10th Century BCE	The first 22 Tīrthaṇkara — Ṛṣabha to Neminātha.

History

The age of Tīrthaṇkaras
2000–1500 BCE	Terracotta seals excavated at site suggest links of Jainism with Indus Valley civilization. Mention of Jain Tīrthaṇkaras in Vedas indicates pre-historic origins of Jainism.
877–777 BCE	The period of Pārśva, the 23rd Tīrthaṇkaras
599–527 BCE	The age of Māhavīra, the 24th Tīrthaṇkaras of Jainism
527 BCE	Nirvāṇa of Māhavīra, Kevala Jñāna of his chief disciple Ganadhara Gautama and origin of Divāli.

The age of Kevalins
523 BCE	As per Jain cosmology, the end of the 4th āra Duḥṣama-suṣamā and start of 5th āra Duḥṣama (sorrow and misery). The age of sorrow is said to have started three years and eight and a half months after the nirvana of Māhavīra.
527–463 BCE	The Reign of the Kevalins — Gautama, Sudharma and Jambusvami

The age of Shruta-kevalins
463–367 BCE	The reign of the Shruta-kevalins. First Council held at Pataliputra for compilation of Jain Agamas. Gradual loss of Purvas. Start of Schism in Jainism in two main sects — Śvetāmbara and Digambara.
320–298 BCE	The reign of Chandragupta Maurya. became a Jain ascetic at the end of his reign.
2nd century BCE	Kharavela, reign of King of Kalinga (Orissa). Reinstallation of Jina image taken by Nanda Kings of Magadha as per Hathigumpha inscription

The Agamic Age
156 CE	Recitation of Ṣaṭkhaṇdāgama and Kaṣāyapahuda by Ācārya Dharasena to ĀcāryaPuṣpadanta and Ācārya Bhūtabali in Candragumpha in Mount Girnar. (683 years after Māhavīra)
2nd Century CE	Kundakunda, founder of Mūla sangha– the main Digambara ascetic lineage.
2nd – 3rd Century CE	Compilation of Tattvārthasūtra by Umāsvāti (Umāsvāmi). This was the first major Jain work in Sanskrit.
300 CE	Two simultaneous councils for compilation of Āgamas, 827 years after Māhavīra – Mathura Council headed by Ācārya Skandila and The First Valabhi Council headed by Ācārya Nāgārjuna.
453 or 466 CE	Second Valabhi Council headed by Devarddhi Ganin, that is, 980 or 993 AV – Final redaction and compilation of Śvetāmbara Canons.

The Age of Logic
4th – 16th Century CE, also known as the age of logic, was the period of development of Jain logic, Philosophy and Yoga. Various original texts, commentaries and expositions were written. The main Ācāryas were Samantabhadra, Siddhasena Divākara, Akalanka, Haribhadra, Mānikyanandi, Vidyānandi, Prabhācandra, Hemacandra, Yaśovijaya. For a detailed chronological list of Jain philosopher-monks see Jain Philosophers. It was also a period of formation of modern Jain communities and extensive Jain contribution to Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and Gujarati Literature.
981 CE	Construction of Gommaṭeśvara – Statue of Lord Bāhubalī (18 meters- 57 feet, worlds tallest monolithic free standing structure), at Sravana Belagola, Karnataka by Cāmuṇḍarāya, the General-in-chief and Prime Minister of the Gaṅga kings of Mysore.
10th Century CE	Emergence of Śvetāmbara Gacchas out of which, most prominent are Tapā Gachha, and Kharatara Gaccha
11th–12th Century CE	Construction of Delwara temples at Mount Ābu built by the Jain ministers of the king of Gujarat, Vastupāla and Tejapāla
13th Century CE	Emergence of institution of Bhattāraka
1474 CE	Establishment of non-image worshipping Śvetāmbara sect of Sthānakvasi established by a Jain layman, Lonka Shah.
1506 CE	Establishment of Taranapantha Digambara sect
1683 CE	Establishment of Digambara sect of Terapantha by a Śvetāmbara layman, Banarasidas
1760 CE	Separation of Ācārya Bhikṣu from Sthānakavasi and establishment of Śvetāmbara Terāpantha sect.
1901 CE	Establishment of Kavi Pantha based on the teachings of Srimad Rājacandra (1867 – 1901)
1934 CE	Separation of Kānjisvāmi from Sthānakavasi and establishment of Digambara Kānjipantha

Further information: Timeline of Jainism

Contemporary historians like Ram Prasad Chandra, Vilas Sangave, Heinrich Zimmer, John Marshall, Thomas McEvilley, P.R. Deshmukh and Mircea Eliade are of the opinion that there exists some link between the first Jain Tirthankar Rishabha and the Indus valley civilization. Based on archeological and literary evidence. P. C. Roychoudary puts the date of Rishabha at the end of the Stone Age and the beginning of the Agriculture age.

Ram Prasad Chanda, who supervised Indus Valley Civilisation excavations, states that, “Not only the seated deities on some of the Indus seals are in Yoga posture and bear witness to the prevalence of Yoga in the Indus Valley Civilisation in that remote age, the standing deities on the seals also show Kayotsarga (a standing or sitting posture of meditation) position. The Kayotsarga posture is peculiarly Jain. It is a posture not of sitting but of standing. In the Adi Purana Book XV III, the Kayotsarga posture is described in connection with the penance of Rishabha”

Christopher Key Chappel also notes some other possible links with Jainism. Seal 420, unearthed at Mohenjodaro portrays a person with 3 or possibly 4 faces. Jain iconography frequently depicts its Tirthankaras with four faces, symbolizing their presence in all four directions. In addition, Depictions of a bull appear repeatedly in the artifacts of the Indus Valley. Richard Lannoy, Thomas McEvilley and Padmanabh Jaini have all suggested that the abundant use of the bull image in the Indus Valley civilization indicates a link with Rishabha, whose companion animal is the bull.

According to scholars, Parshvanath was a historical figure and lived in the 9th century BC. In the 6th century BC, Vardhamana Mahavira became one of the most influential Jainism teachers. He built up a large group of disciples that learned from his teachings and followed him as he taught an ascetic doctrine in order to achieve enlightenment. The disciples referred to him as Jina, which means "the conqueror" and later his followers would use a derivation of this title to refer to themselves as Jains, a follower of the Jina.

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