Topic summary
Parshvanatha
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Pārśvanātha.
Historicity
Indian Śramaṇa tradition had one of its earliest known prominent exemplar as Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankar in 9th century BCE. Pārśvanātha is the earliest Jaina tīrthaṅkara who is acknowledged as probably a historical figure. Historians consider that he may have lived between c. 8th to 6th century BCE, founding a proto-Jain ascetic community which subsequently got revived and reformed by Mahāvīra (6th or 5th century BCE).