Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, 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 ...

is an ancient

Indian religion Indian religions, sometimes also termed Dharmic religions or Indic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent. These religions, which include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism,Adams, C. J."Classification of ...

belonging to the

śramaṇa ''Śramaṇa'' (Sanskrit; Pali: ''𑀲𑀫𑀦'') means "one who labours, toils, or exerts themselves (for some higher or religious purpose)" or "seeker, one who performs acts of austerity, ascetic".Monier Monier-Williams, श्रमण śr ...

tradition. It prescribes ''

ahimsa Ahimsa (, IAST: ''ahiṃsā'', ) is the ancient Indian principle of nonviolence which applies to all living beings. It is a key virtue in most Indian religions: Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.Bajpai, Shiva (2011). The History of India � ...

'' (non-violence) towards all living beings to the greatest possible extent. The three main teachings of Jainism are ''ahimsa'', ''

anekantavada ( hi, अनेकान्तवाद, "many-sidedness") is the Jain doctrine about metaphysical truths that emerged in ancient India. It states that the ultimate truth and reality is complex and has multiple aspects. According to Jainism, ...

'' (non-absolutism), ''

aparigraha Non-possession (aparigraha ( sa, अपरिग्रह)) is a philosophy that holds that no one or anything possesses anything. ln Jainism, aparigraha is the virtue of non-possessiveness, non-grasping or non-greediness.Arti Dhand (2002), The d ...

'' (non-possessiveness). Followers of Jainism take five main vows: ''ahimsa'', ''

satya ''Satya'' (Sanskrit: सत्य; IAST: ''satya)'' is a Sanskrit word loosely translated as truth, essence. A. A. Macdonell, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Asian Educational Services, , pp. 330–331 It also refers to a virtue in Indian relig ...

'' (not lying), ''

asteya ''Achourya'' (Sanskrit: अचौर्यः, IAST: Acauryaḥ ) or ''Asteya'' (Sanskrit: अस्तेय; IAST: ''asteya'') is the Sanskrit term for "non-stealing". It is a virtue in Hinduism . The practice of ''asteya'' demands that one mus ...

'' (non stealing), ''

brahmacharya ''Brahmacharya'' (; sa, ब्रह्मचर्य ) is a concept within Indian religions that literally means to stay in conduct within one's own Self. In Yoga, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism it generally refers to a lifestyle charac ...

'' (chastity), and ''aparigraha''. Monks follow them completely whereas '' śrāvakas'' (householders) observe them partially. Self-discipline and

asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

are thus major focuses of Jainism.

Before common era (BCE)

* 584,979–574,979 BCE:

Naminatha Naminatha was the twenty-first ''tirthankara'' of the present half time cycle, Avsarpini. He was born to the King Vijaya and Queen Vipra of the Ikshvaku dynasty. King Vijaya was the ruler of Mithila (ancient), Mithila at that time. ''Naminath ...

, 21st

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a 'ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable passag ...

Neminatha Neminatha, also known as Nemi and Arishtanemi, is the twenty-second ''tirthankara'' (ford-maker) in Jainism. Along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha, Neminatha is one of the twenty four ''tirthankaras'' who attract the most devo ...

, 22nd

: According to Jain beliefs, he lived 84,650 years before the 23rd Tirthankara,

Parshvanatha ''Parshvanatha'' (), also known as ''Parshva'' () and ''Parasnath'', was the 23rd of 24 ''Tirthankaras'' (supreme preacher of dharma) of Jainism. He is the only Tirthankara who gained the title of ''Kalīkālkalpataru (Kalpavriksha in this "Kal ...

. He existed in the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

era and was the cousin brother of

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

. * 877–777 BCE:

Parshva ''Parshvanatha'' (), also known as ''Parshva'' () and ''Parasnath'', was the 23rd of 24 ''Tirthankaras'' (supreme preacher of dharma) of Jainism. He is the only Tirthankara who gained the title of ''Kalīkālkalpataru (Kalpavriksha in this "Kal ...

natha, 23rd Tirthankar of Jainism. He is the earliest Jain tirthankara who can be reliably dated. * 599–527 BCE:

Mahavira Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...

, 24th and last Tirthankar of this era. * 5th century BCE: Acharya shree

Siddhasen Diwakar Siddhasēna Divākara ( pka, सिद्धसेन दिवाकर) was a ''jain monk'' in the fifth century CE who wrote works on Jain philosophy and epistemology. He was like the illuminator of the Jain order and therefore came to be kno ...

* d. 507 BCE:

Ganadhar Sudharma Swami Sudharmaswami ( sa, Sudharmāsvāmī or Sudharman; 607 BC – 507 BC) was the fifth ganadhara of Mahavira. All the current Jain acharyas and monks follow his rule. Life Sudharmaswami was the spiritual successor of Indrabhuti Gautama in rel ...

* d. 357 BCE:

Acharya Bhadrabahu Ācārya Bhadrabāhu (c. 367 - c. 298 BC) was, according to the ''Digambara'' sect of Jainism, the last '' Shruta Kevalin'' (all knowing by hearsay, that is indirectly) in Jainism . He was the last ''acharya'' of the undivided Jain ''sangha''. ...

* d. 162 BCE:

Hathigumpha inscription The Hathigumpha Inscription is a seventeen line inscription in Prakrit language incised in Brahmi script in a cavern called Hathigumpha in Udayagiri hills, near Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. Dated between 2nd-century BCE and 1st-century CE, it ...

mentions the ''

Namokar Mantra The Ṇamōkāra mantra or Navkar Mantra is the most significant mantra in Jainism, and one of the oldest mantras in continuous practice. This is the first prayer recited by the Jains while meditating. The mantra is also variously referred to ...

'' and

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 ...

monarch

Kharvela Kharavela (also transliterated Khārabēḷa) was a monarch of Kalinga in present-day Odisha, India, who ruled during the second or first century BCE. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is ...

. * 2nd century BCE: ''Namokar Mantra'' epigraphically attested in Maharashtra

Common era (CE)

*1st century CE: Acharya

Kundkund Kundakunda was a Digambara Jain monk and philosopher, who likely lived in the 2nd CE century CE or later. His date of birth is māgha māsa, śukla pakṣa, pañcamī tithi, on the day of Vasant Panchami. He authored many Jain texts such as ...

*87 CE:

Pushpadanta In Jainism, Pushpadanta ( sa, पुष्पदन्त), also known as Suvidhinatha, was the ninth Tirthankara of the present age ('' Avasarpini''). According to Jain belief, he became a siddha and an arihant, a liberated soul that has des ...

starts to write

Shatkhandagam The (Sanskrit: "Scripture in Six Parts") is the foremost and oldest Digambara Jain sacred text. According to Digambara tradition, the original canonical scriptures of the Jains were totally lost within a few centuries of ''Nirvana'' of Mah ...

*156 CE: Acharya

Bhutabali Acharya Bhutabali (7th century CE) was a Digambara monk. He along with Acharya Pushpadanta composed the most sacred Jain text,'' Satkhandagama.''. Legacy ''Shrut Panchami'' (scripture fifth) is celebrated by Jains in may every year commemorati ...

completes writing of

*454 CE: Devardhigani compiles

Jain Agamas Jain literature (Sanskrit: जैन साहित्य) refers to the literature of the Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initially transmitted orally. The oldest surviving material is contained in the ca ...

*5th century CE: first mention of the

Mula Sangh ''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major schools of Jainism, the other being ''Śvētāmbara'' (white-clad). The Sanskrit word ''Digambara'' means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic practice of neither possessing n ...

order * 5th century CE:

Pataini temple Pataini temple or Pataini devi temple in a 5th century Jain temple located near Unchehara town in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The temple was constructed during the reign of Gupta Empire. Location The temple is located on a lofty hill North of ...

Kahaum pillar Kahaum pillar is an structure located in Khukhundoo in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and dates to the reign of Gupta Empire ruler Skandagupta. The 5th century an pillar known as ''Kahaum pillar'' was erected during the reign of Skandagupta. Thi ...

and

Kanakagiri Jain tirth Kanakagiri Jain tirth kshetra also known as Kanakadri and Hemantha Desha is situated at about 3 km from Maleyuru, Chamarajanagar district, 53 km from the Mysore city and 182 km from Bengaluru. History It is one of the important ...

were constructed

Middle Ages

* 9th century ** The Tirumalai complex in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

is established. * 10th century ** Life of

Nemichandra Nemichandra Siddhanta Chakravarty ( fl. 10th century) was the author of ''Dravyasamgraha'', ''Gommatsāra'' (''Jivakanda'' and ''Karmakanda''), ''Trilokasara'', ''Labdhisara'' and ''Kshapanasara''. He was among the most distinguished of the Jai ...

, a famous Jain author. ** Jain temple of Gurjiwada, Cudnem,

Bicholim Bicholim, pronounced (), also known as Divchal and Dicholi, is a town and a municipal council in North Goa district in the state of Goa, India. It is the headquarters of the ''Concelho'' (district) of Bicholim, one of seven that make up the No ...

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

was constructed. ** 982: Monolithic statue of Bahubali erected at Shravana belagola * 12th century **

Kashtha Sangh Kashtha Sangha (काष्ठा संघ) was a Digambar Jain monastic order once dominant in several regions of North and Western India. It is considered to be a branch of Mula Sangh itself. It is said to have originated from a town named K ...

** 1172:

Acharya Hemachandra Hemachandra was a 12th century () Indian Jain saint, scholar, poet, mathematician, philosopher, yogi, grammarian, law theorist, historian, lexicographer, rhetorician, logician, and prosodist. Noted as a prodigy by his contemporaries, he gai ...

** 1194: Tristutik * 13th century ** 1229: Tapa Gachchha * 15th century ** Ancient Jain temple of Gurjiwada, Cudnem,

was in ruins. * 17th century ** 1664:

Digambar Terapanth Kanji Swami (1890–1980) was a teacher of Jainism. He was deeply influenced by the ''Samayasāra'' of Kundakunda in 1932. He lectured on these teachings for 45 years to comprehensively elaborate on the philosophy described by Kundakunda and ot ...

** 1658: Digambara Jain Lal Mandir temple in Delhi built. * 18th century ** 1760: Swetembar Terapanth ** 1780: Sthanakvasi and Terapanthi orders

British India

* 1868: Jain temple in Mumbai * 1880s: reform movement of

Acharya Rajendrasuri Acharya Rajendrasuri was a Svetambara Jain monk and reformer of monk traditions of the 19th century. He wrote many books on Jainism including ''Abhidhānarājaindrakōśa'', a dictionary of Prakrit defining 60,000 terms used in Jain works. Ea ...

* 1893:

Virachand Gandhi Virachand Raghavji Gandhi (25 August 1864 – 7 August 1901) was a Jain scholar who represented Jainism at the first World Parliament of Religions in 1893. A barrister by profession, he worked to defend the rights of Jains, and wrote and lecture ...

participates in Chicago's

World Parliament of Religions There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World's Religions, the first being the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, which was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. The event was celebrated by another c ...

& Won Silver Medal. * 1904: Jain temple at the

Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...

*1927: Madras High Court in Gateppa v. Eramma and others recognizes " Jainism as a distinct religion"

Post-Partition

* 1970s: significant presence of

Jainism in the United States Adherents of Jainism first arrived in the United States in the 20th century. Jain immigration began in earnest in the late 1960s and continues to the present day. History In 1893, Virachand Gandhi became the first Jain delegate to visit the ...

* 1972: Aacharya Shri Vidyasagar Maharaj elevated to the Acharya status. * 1975: Acharya

Sushil Kumar (Jain monk) Sushil Kumar (15 June 1926 – 22 April 1994) was a Jain teacher and monk (later Acharya). He was a self-realized master who devoted more than 50 years to promoting non-violence, peace and knowledge of the self. Guruji (as he is lovingly call ...

ji travels to USA. The first Jain muni to travel by air out of the Indian subcontinent. * 1975: Monolithic statue of

Bahubali Bahubali (), a much revered figure among Jains, was the son of Rishabadeva (the first ''tirthankara'' of Jainism) and the brother of Bharata Chakravartin. He is said to have meditated motionless for a year in a standing posture (''kayotsarg ...

is installed at

Dharmasthala Dharmasthala (earlier known as Kuduma) is an Indian temple town on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the Belthangady taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, India. The town is known for its centuries old Dharmasthala Tem ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

, India under the auspices of D. Rathnavarma Heggade and Mathrushree D. Rathnamma Heggade, members of Dharmasthala's Jaina lineage who also manage the local Shivaite temple. Carving work began in 1966 under the sculptor Rejala Gopalkrishna Shenoy of

Karkala ''Karkala'' also known as Karla in Tulu language, is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 60 km from Mangalore in the Tulu Nadu region of the state,it lies near the foothill ...

. * 1976: In Arya Samaj Education Trust, Delhi & Others v. The Director of Education, Delhi Administration, Delhi & Others (AIR 1976 Delhi 207), the Court referred to

Heinrich Zimmer Heinrich Robert Zimmer (6 December 1890 – 20 March 1943) was a German Indologist and linguist, as well as a historian of South Asian art, most known for his works, ''Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization'' and ''Philosophies of India ...

's ''Philosophies of India'' describing Jainism as "a heterodox Indian religion" and

J. N. Farquhar John Nicol Farquhar (6 April 1861 – 17 July 1929) was a Scottish educational missionary to Calcutta, and an Orientalist. He is one of the pioneers who popularised the ''Fulfilment theology'' in India that Christ is the crown of Hinduism, tho ...

's ''Modern Religious Movements in India'' describing Jainism as "a rival of Hinduism." * 1981: First Jain convention in Los Angeles * 1983: Formal organization of JAINA (Jain Associations in North America) * 1990: Temple Pratishtha, The Jain Sangh Cherry Hill, New Jersey * 1990: Temple Pratishtha, Jain Society of Metropolitan Washington * 1991: Founding of

Siddhachalam Siddhachalam is the first Jain Tirtha (pilgrimage site) located outside of India. Founded in 1983 by Sushil Kumar, it is located on a 108-acre (44ha) site in rural New Jersey, United States. Siddhachalam (Hindi: ''siddha'', liberated souls; ...

, the Jain tirtha * 1991: Death of Jain Acharya Shri Ramchandra Surishwarji * 1993: Temple Pratishtha, Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago * 1995: Temple Pratishtha, Jain Center of Cincinnati and Dayton * 1998: Temple Pratishtha, Jain Society of Greater Detroit * 2000: Temple Pratishtha, Jain Center of Northern California (JCNC) * 2000: Jain Vishwa Bharati Orlando * 2005: the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...

declined to grant Jains the status of a religious minority throughout India, leaving it to the respective states to decide on the minority status of Jainis. * 2006: the Supreme Court opined that "Jain Religion is indisputably not a part of the Hindu religion" (''Para 25, Committee of Management Kanya Junior High School Bal Vidya Mandir, Etah, U.P. v. Sachiv, U.P. Basic Shiksha Parishad, Allahabad, U.P. and Ors., Per Dalveer Bhandari J., Civil Appeal No. 9595 of 2003, decided On: 21.08.2006, Supreme Court of India.'') * 2008:

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 ...

city government declares Jain community a minority per the Supreme Court Orders. * 2014: Jain community is designated a minority at the national level.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * *

External links

History & Evolution of Sramanic Jain Culture- Bal PatilAntiquity of Jainism - Jain, Mahavir Saran
{{History of religions, state=collapsed Timeline

Timeline A timeline is a display of a list of events in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representi ...