Trends of Jainism in Tamralipta: An Over‑view
By Korak K. Chaudhuri, Saumyendu Chakraborty
Summary
Korak K. Chaudhuri and Saumyendu Chakraborty examine archaeological and literary evidence for Jainism in Tamralipta, a historic port town in present‑day Tamluk, West Bengal. Decades of archaeological explorations in South and South‑West Bengal have uncovered numerous Jain relics, and when these finds are combined with indigenous and foreign textual references, they indicate that Midnapore’s popular life was deeply influenced by Jainism for about a thousand years. However, the authors caution that research is hindered by scarce materials and the lack of interdisciplinary approaches linking history with the social sciences. They highlight unresolved questions such as when Jainism first entered Midnapore; even the broader issue of when Jainism came to Bengal remains obscured. Drawing on Jain texts, the article notes that the Kalpa‑sūtra records that the 23rd Tīrthaṅkara Parśvanātha preached the caturyama dharma in Pundra, Rāḍha and Tamralipta around 800 BCE, suggesting an early introduction. The Bhāgavatī‑sūtra recounts how a wealthy merchant of Tamralipta named Tamali Moriyaputta was so moved by Mahāvīra’s discourses that he became a Jain monk, indicating contact with Jainism by the time of Mahāvīra (6th century BCE). The authors hypothesize that present‑day Tambuli communities may trace their heritage to this merchant. They observe that Buddhist texts mention only Anga and Magadha as eastern janapadas, whereas Jain texts also list Vanga and Ladha as Aryan lands, implying early Jain presence in the Bengal delta. The article suggests that Jainism may have reached Tamralipta before other Aryan religions and notes that Parśvanātha’s missionaries faced resistance from local tribes but ultimately spread Jainism across South‑West Bengal. For the subsequent centuries, the authors refer to lists of teachers in the Kalpa‑sūtra and Thera‑vāli to trace the religious lineage, concluding that Jainism flourished in Tamralipta but later declined due to competition from Buddhism, Śaivism, Vaiṣṇavism and external invasions.
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Conclusion
The article argues that archaeological finds and textual references jointly show that Tamralipta was an important centre of Jainism for centuries. Despite research challenges, the authors present evidence that Jainism entered the region by the 6th century BCE and influenced local society until it declined amid religious competition and foreign incursions. They call for more interdisciplinary studies and new discoveries to clarify outstanding questions about Jainism’s chronology and cultural impact in Bengal.