Jainism in Indian History and Culture

Jainism is a religion based on an ascetic doctrine of salvation which, according to tradition, emerged in north-eastern India around the middle of the first millennium BCE. At its center is the worship of the Jinas, a series of twenty-four mythical proclaimers or innovators of a doctrine of salvation presented as eternal, which offers redemption from the cycle of rebirths through the practice of strict asceticism and absolute non-violence. Since its foundation, Jainism has undergone numerous changes. Its development in ancient times was characterized by a consolidation of community structures, which included the formation of a lay class. During the Indian Middle Ages, Jainism flourished above all in the area of the present-day union states of Gujarat and Rajasthan as well as in Karnataka. While ancient Jainism was characterized by the ascetic lifestyle of the wandering monks, medieval Jainism was shaped by the growing influence of the laity and the emerging system of temple-based worship. Early modern Jainism is primarily characterized by reform movements and a split into numerous directions and schools. In the 19th century, the encounter with Western culture followed and in the 20th century, Jain diaspora communities emerged in Africa, Europe and North America. Around 4 million people worldwide describe themselves as followers of Jainism today.