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鈥�鈥︹赌�.闯补颈苍 worship is based on the conception
of bhakti of an ideal, or an apostle representing
an idea, not for reward but for self-purification鈥�

U.P. Shah (1987:9)

This chapter deals with the historical development of Jainism with reference to the rise and growth of this religious ideology through the ages in ancient Bengal. According to Jain traditions, it is an eternal truth and has great antiquity. There is a general tendency to justify the origin of this religious order as an offshoot of the Brahmanical order in sixth century BCE as a protestant religion and 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 惭补丑腻惫墨谤补 being the founder of this religious ideology. However, the Jainas themselves believe in the existence of the twenty-four 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补s^[1] and accorging to the different Jain texts most of the 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补s hailed from eastern India^[2]. However, the historicity of the first twenty-two 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补s lies buried in the lap of hoary times and it seems to be completely mythical. At the same time it is acceptable that there is a certain amount of historicity regarding the twenty-third 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 笔腻谤艣惫补苍腻迟丑补, besides the twenty-fourth 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 惭补丑腻惫墨谤补. According to Professor Rhys Davids (1911: 543) 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 笔腻谤艣惫补苍腻迟丑补 was the real founder of Jainism^[3].

In spite of its remote antiquity, Jainism as an organized and methodical form of religious creed probably flourished during the sixth century BCE under the leadership of the twenty-fourth 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 惭补丑腻惫墨谤补. He actually reformulated the system as apparent from Jain texts. 膧肠腻谤腻峁単补 厂奴迟谤补 (Jacobi 1884: II.3.401: 389) records that the parents of 惭补丑腻惫墨谤补 followed the faith of 笔腻谤艣惫补 and were adherents of the 厂补尘补峁嘺蝉. 惭补丑腻惫墨谤补 himself seems to have first followed the order of 笔腻谤艣惫补 (Shah 1987: 2). 笔腻谤艣惫补苍腻迟丑补 prescribed four vows for the people who followed him, viz., not to injure life; to speak the truth; not to steal and non-attachment (Bhattacharyay 1939/1974: XIII). 罢墨谤迟丑补峁卥补谤补 惭补丑腻惫墨谤补 added the fifth one i.e., chastity. There are other minor differences with regard to the rituals. However, the followers of 笔腻谤艣惫补, known as Nirgranthas, maintained their separate entity for a long time. In this context it should be mentioned that the followers of 惭补丑腻惫墨谤补 were also known as Nirgranthas and 惭补丑腻惫墨谤补 himself is referred to as 狈颈驳补峁囜弓丑补 狈腻迟补辫耻迟迟补 (naked scion or son of the J帽膩t峁�-clan) in Buddhist texts (Malalasekera 1938: 61-65; Shah 1932: 5-7). Subsequently, they were more commonly known as Jainas (Shah op. cit.:1), followers of the Jina or the Conqueror.