Jagdish Chandra Jain
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Jagdish Chandra Jain (20 January 1909 – 28 July 1993) was a scholar,
indologist Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is o ...
, educationist, writer, and freedom fighter during the freedom struggle of India. He authored over 80 books on a variety of subjects, including
Jain philosophy Jain philosophy refers to the ancient Indian philosophy, Indian philosophical system found in Jainism. One of the main features of Jain philosophy is its Mind–body dualism, dualistic metaphysics, which holds that there are two distinct categor ...
,
Prakrit The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usu ...
literature, and Hindi textbooks for children. Jain was the chief prosecution witness in Gandhi's murder trial. He repeatedly tried to warn the government of the conspiracy to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi, which became to known to him after Madan Lal Pahwa, a Punjabi refugee and one of the conspirators of the murder of
Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
, confided to him of their plan. Jain's attempts to warn the government met deaf ears. He recounted his personal experiences in two books: ''I Could Not Save Bapu'' and ''The Forgotten Mahatma''. He died from cardiac arrest in July 1993 in Bombay at the age of 84.


Early childhood

Jagdish Chandra JainArticle: ''Prof. Dr. Jagdish Chandra Jain (1909–1993) – The International scholar and a Freedom Fighter'', by Kalpana Jain Sharma. was born in 1909 in a village called Basera situated in the
Doab ''Doab'' () is a term used in South Asia Quote: "Originally and chiefly in South Asia: (the name of) a strip or narrow tract of land between two rivers; spec. (with) the area between the rivers Ganges and Jumna in northern India." for the tract ...
region of western
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
, about 12 miles from
Muzaffarnagar Muzaffarnagar is a city under Muzaffarnagar District in the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated midway on the Delhi - Haridwar/Dehradun National Highway (NH 58) and is also well connected with the national railway network. It is kno ...
. He belonged to an educated
Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
family. His father, Sri Kanjimal Jain, owned a small shop selling the traditional
Unani Unani or Yunani medicine (Urdu: ''tibb yūnānī'') is Perso-Arabic traditional medicine as practiced in Muslim culture in South Asia and modern day Central Asia. Unani medicine is pseudoscientific. The Indian Medical Association describes U ...
medicine. Jagdish Chandra was the youngest of the two brothers. His one brother and sister died at a young ag

In 1911, when Jagdish Chandra was two-and-a-half years old, disaster struck when his father died, a victim of the plague, leaving his mother as sole care-taker of the two boys. After a few stormy years, his elder brother, Gulshanrai, who lost one of his eyes due to
smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
, began to look after the family. At the age of six, Jagdish Chandra was sent to the village Pathashala (school), where he attended primary school. It was a very small school where
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
students also read. At the age of nine, he completed his studies in Pathashala, after which his elder brother admitted him to a
gurukula A or ( sa, गुरुकुल, gurukul) is a type of education system in ancient India with ('students' or 'disciples') living near or with the guru, in the same house. The guru-shishya tradition is a sacred one in Hinduism and possibly ap ...
. The rigorous discipline of the ashram life left a tangible impact on his subsequent life.


College years – sprouting the seed

In 1923, Jagdish Chandra went to
Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...
and got himself admitted to Syadvad Jain Mahahvidyalay (located on the banks of the
Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
), where he studied
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
,
Jain religion Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
, vyakaran (grammar), sahitya (literature) and
nyaya (Sanskrit: न्याय, ''nyā-yá''), literally meaning "justice", "rules", "method" or "judgment",Ayurveda Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repo ...
(traditional science of Indian medicine). He continued his studies at
Banaras Hindu University Banaras Hindu University (BHU) IAST: kāśī hindū viśvavidyālaya IPA: /kaːʃiː hɪnd̪uː ʋɪʃwəʋid̪jaːləj/), is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916 ...
and obtained his B.A. degree followed by an M.A. in Philosophy in 1932. In 1929, he married Kamalshri. Though born in a prosperous family of Tissa in
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
, she willingly gave up her luxurious life-style and moulded her own aspirations to support her husband. Indeed, when Jagdish Chandra was later detained during
India's freedom struggle The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged from Bengal. ...
, Kamalshri suffered immensely being alone with her small children—an irony that mimicked Jagdish Chandra's own childhood. Jagdish Chandra's college life was neither smooth nor peaceful. He was in fact then a street boy struggling hard for his daily bread. The precarious existence, the agony of somehow passing the day, and of somehow managing to survive, naturally created in him a revolutionary spirit. After a few years, Jagdish Chandra received a scholarship to work as a research scholar in Shantiniketan (abode of peace) in
West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
, which was the ashram of
Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...
. The experience of personal contact with Rabindranath Tagore contributed to his spiritual development and creative spirit. This was the turning point in Jagdish Chandra's life. He felt that British rule in India was the root cause of all evil, and naturally created in him an urge to change society. When
Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
launched the
Satyagraha Satyagraha ( sa, सत्याग्रह; ''satya'': "truth", ''āgraha'': "insistence" or "holding firmly to"), or "holding firmly to truth",' or "truth force", is a particular form of nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. Someone w ...
movement in 1930, Jagdish Chandra left his studies and joined the movement. He left
Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...
and went back to his village in Basera to organise the people. He called for volunteers for the
civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be called "civil". Hen ...
movement and delivered fiery speeches. His enthusiasm was keenly observed and very soon an arrest warrant was issued against him. Fortunately, under the cover of darkness he was able to escape. Jagdish Chandra left his village and went to
Ajmer Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...
, where he was employed as a school teacher. But his Gandhi cap came in the way. The headmaster objected to the use of the cap; his argument was that since Ajmer was a state of
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
he could not be permitted to wear it. Committed to a principle as he was, Jagdish Chandra quit his job. Settling into an academic career was never easy for young Jagdish Chandra; his manifold skills and intensity of social commitment never stopped pulling him in different directions. In 1934, he taught European students Hindi at St. Mary's European High School. While teaching there, he felt the need for good text books in Hindi. He proceeded to prepare a set of Hindi text books that were later prescribed by the education department of the government of
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
for secondary schools. He then joined
Ramnarain Ruia College Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College is a college affiliated to the University of Mumbai, in Matunga, Mumbai, India. It was established in June 1937. The University of Mumbai granted autonomous status to Ramnarain Ruia College in year 2017. It co ...
as a professor of
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
and soon headed the Hindi department. By then, he was a qualified PhD advisor in Hindi while he himself did his doctorate in sociology. But the permanent post of a professor and the prospect of a peaceful scholarly life did not satisfy him. Jagdish Chandra felt that he could not remain indifferent to the socio-political changes which were taking place. India was passing through a critical period—there was unrest and repression all over the country;
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
had begun; Mahatma Gandhi was leading the rigorous
Quit India Movement The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Kranti Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule in ...
; and
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Subhas Chandra Bose ( ; 23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945 * * * * * * * * *) was an Indian nationalist whose defiance of British authority in India made him a hero among Indians, but his wartime alliances with Nazi Germany and Imperi ...
had escaped from his house detention and reached
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
from where he was broadcasting for his countrymen. As a result, Jagdish Chandra rejoined the freedom movement and soon after was arrested and detained in the Worli Detention camp in September 1942. During his prison years his political views further sharpened.


The assassination of Mahatma Gandhi

The
assassination of Mahatma Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948 at age 78 in the compound of Birla House (now Gandhi Smriti), a large mansion in central New Delhi. His assassin was Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a Chitpavan Brahmin from Pune, Maharashtra, a ...
on 30 January 1948 was a memorable event in Jain's life. Jagdish Chandra gave advance information to the Bombay Government – the Chief Minister B.G. Kher and the Home Minister
Morarji Desai Morarji Ranchhodji Desai (29 February 1896 – 10 April 1995) was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as the 4th Prime Minister of India between 1977 to 1979 leading the government formed by the Janata Party. During his ...
– that a conspiracy was going on to kill the Mahatma. The fact was that Madanlal Pahwa, a Punjabi refugee and one of the conspirators of the murder of Mahatma Gandhi, was known to him. The man was grateful to Prof. Jain because the latter had helped him secure occupation. Once in a weak moment, Madanlal told Prof. Jain that they were planning to assassinate the Mahatma. At once, Prof. Jain informed the Chief Minister and the Home Minister of Bombay of this conspiracy and suggested that proper security measures be taken. However, the government did not take up the matter seriously and Morarji Desai, who was then the Home Minister of Bombay, rudely shouted saying, “In that case, you are the conspirator and I will arrest you.”
''I Could Not Save Bapu'' 1949, 241pp.
On 20 January 1948 Madanlal blasted a bomb during the prayer meeting of Mahatma Gandhi at the
Birla House Birla may refer to: * Birla family * Members of the Birla family: ** Aditya Vikram Birla ** Ananya Birla ** Basant Kumar Birla ** G. D. Birla ** K. K. Birla ** C. K. Birla ** Kumar Mangalam Birla See also * Burla (disambiguation) Burla may refer ...
, Delhi. The attempt failed and Madanlal was arrested. Prof. Jain repeatedly urged the government to give him a chance to interrogate Madanlal since he was confident that he would be able to persuade Madanlal to give up the names of the other conspirators and disclose the nature of the conspiracy. But the government remained stout and the assassination of Mahatma took place ten days later. Subsequently, Jain appeared in the Gandhi murder trial at the
Red Fort The Red Fort or Lal Qila () is a historic fort in Old Delhi, Delhi in India that served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift hi ...
in
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
as the chief prosecution witness on behalf of the government of India. He exposed the callousness of the government in this regard in two of his books: ''I Could Not Save Bapu'' and ''The Forgotten Mahatma''


Government issued stamp

In July 1993, Jain died from cardiac arrest in
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
(
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
). To pay tribute, the government of India released a commemorative postal stamp in his memory. The
Bombay Municipal Corporation The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC; IAST: ), also known as the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), is the governing civic body of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra. It is India's richest municipal corporation. The BMC ...
(BMC) also named the street of his residence after his name.


Books authored

Jain wrote over 80 books on a variety of subjects,
Partial list of books
including Jainism,
Prakrit The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usu ...
literature. Some of his books have been used in various Indian universities. He has also contributed numerous research articles in Hindi and English magazines and journals. * ''Jambusvāmicarita in Sanskrit'', edited from manuscript. 1936. * ''Shrīmad Rājacandra''. 1937. (Revised edition: ''Shrimad Rājachandra Bhaktaratna'', 1967). * ''Mahāvīra Vardhamāna''. 1945, 68 pp. * ''Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries; an administrative, economic, social, and geographical survey of ancient India based on the Jain canons''. 1947, 420 pp. * ''The Forgotten Mahatma''. 1987. Jain's account as a prosecution witness of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Vinayak Godse, and the trial; includes his views on Gandhi's role in India's independence, and the relevance of his philosophy today. * ''I Could Not Save Bapu''. 1949, 241 pp. * ''Amidst the Chinese people''. 1955, 152 pp. * ''The Murder of Mahatma Gandhi: prelude and aftermath''. 1961, 175 pp. * ''Do hazāra varsha purānī kahāniyām̐''. 1965, 188 pp. * ''Prācīna Bhārata kī śreshṭha kahāniyām̐''. 1970, 140 pp. * ''Prākr̥ta Jaina kathā sāhitya''. 1971, 196 pp. * ''The Gift of Love and other Ancient Indian Tales about Women''. 1976, 99 pp. * ''Prakrit Narrative Literature: origin and growth''. 1981, 240 pp. * ''Women in Ancient Indian Tales''. 1981, 110 pp. * ''Life in Ancient India as Depicted in Jaina Canon and Commentaries (6th Century B.C. to 17th Century A.D.) ''. 1984, 531 pp. * ''Prākr̥ta sāhitya kā itihāsa, Īsavī san ke pūrva pāncāvīṃ śatābdī se Īsavī san kī aṭhārahavīṃ śatābdī taka''. 1985, 690 pp. * ''History and Development of Prakrit Literature''. 2004, 520 pp.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jain, Jagdish Chandra Indian Indologists 1909 births 1993 deaths Writers from Uttar Pradesh Indian independence activists from Uttar Pradesh People from Bijnor district 20th-century Indian Jain writers Indian feminist writers 20th-century Indian historians Jain Indian independence activists Banaras Hindu University alumni