Jaina Culture in Medieval Karnataka: Dominance, Dependency and Endurance

Why did the Jainas in Karnataka plunge from a position of supremacy into one of severe dependency? After a steep and steady rise throughout the region from about the fifth century CE, Jaina influence waned dramatically from the late eleventh or early twelfth centuries onwards. In this publication, specialists in Indian history, religious studies and anthropology, as well as historians of art and architecture, discuss various expressions of this sudden and detrimental decline and explore the reasons for it, focusing in particular on the relations of the Jainas with Virasaivas and Muslims. The evidence provided by the five international scholars, who offer insights from different disciplinal backgrounds, indicates that the reasons for the Jainas’ loss of authority in the region were manifold. Certain internal triggers, such as changes in Jaina social structure and religious practices, adversely affected their position over time. In particular, however, the withdrawal of royal patronage, the success of the Virasaivas as traders, and the emergence in the area at this time of a number of competing religious groups caused the Jainas to slip into a position of strong asymmetrical dependency.