Jainism Under Threat: Extreme Forms of Dependency in Medieval Karnataka, South India

This study examines the rise and decline of Jaina influence in the South Indian state of Karnataka. From roughly the second century CE, Jaina authority rose steadily, so that between around the eight and the early twelfth centuries CE, the Jainas clearly dominated in the fields of politics, religion, philosophy and the arts. This gain in influence led the Jainas to undertake a number of changes to their own religious self-understanding and ritual practice. Some ascetic groups started to settle down in monasteries. The receipt of donations turned the community into a dominant landowning class, which diversified into a number of ascetic subgroups and lay castes. The Tantric and bhakti movements at the time also had a marked effect on Jaina sacred practices. From the twelfth century, a withdrawal of royal support, the fragmentation of the community and the arrival of rival religious groups in the area led to a sudden decline. In this publication, the process of the ascent and weakening of this major religious faith is examined through the lens of its religious art and architecture. In these areas, it becomes apparent that despite a clear loss in political and economic power, Jainism and many of its pilgrimage sites survived and are still flourishing in Karnataka today.