Jainism under Threat: Extreme Forms of Dependency

Public lecture by Prof. Dr. Julia A. B. Hegewald: The Jaina religion originates in East India in about the sixth century BCE. It reached the South Indian State of Karnataka in about the second century CE. From the fifth century CE onwards, Jainism appears to have risen steadily to a position of supremacy in the region. The hegemony of the Jainas and their control of all areas of life throughout Karnataka was especially pronounced from the eighth to eleventh centuries CE. However, from the twelfth century, the influence diminished rapidly and the Jaina community ended up in a position of severe asymmetrical dependency. This presentation will focus on the reasons for the initial rise and the subsequent irreversible decline of the Jainas in the State. Causes are to be found in religious, social, political and economic areas.