Position of the Jainas in Bengal during the rule of Gopala, the first Pala king
By Chitta Ranjan Pal
Summary
The article "Position of the Jainas in Bengal during the rule of Gopala, the first Pala king" by Chitta Ranjan Pal examines the historical presence of Jain communities in Bengal during the early Pāla period. Earlier scholars assumed that the rise of Buddhism after the enthronement of the Pāla dynasty led to the eclipse of Jainism in Bengal. Pal argues that this belief rests on flimsy evidence. He notes that while the Pāla rulers patronised Buddhism, there is no incontrovertible proof that the Nirgranthas (Jainas) disappeared from Bengal. The persecution of heterodox sects by the Saśānka of Karnasuvarna and the political turmoil of "Mātsyanyāya" forced many Nirgranthas to migrate to more hospitable forested regions or to the hilly tracts of western Bengal. Buddhist chronicles and Brahmanical writings often lumped the Nirgranthas together with Buddhists under the pejorative term pāṣaṇḍa, and orthodox writers branded them as tīrthikas (heretics). Pal analyses the use of the term pāṣaṇḍa from Ashokan edicts through medieval Buddhist and Brahmanical texts to show that it referred broadly to non‑Vedic religious groups, including the Jains, Buddhists, Ājīvikas and Kāpālikas. He traces references to Nirgranthas in the Buddhist chronicle Ārya‑Mañjuśrī‑Mūla‑kalpa, which describes how followers of different sects, including the Nirgranthas, swarmed over the land during Gopāla’s reign. The article discusses the resentment of orthodox Brahmins toward Nirgranthas and the attempts of Brahmanical writers to denigrate them. Despite this hostility, Pal argues that the Nirgranthas continued to practise their religion and build temples, migrating when necessary to avoid persecution. Evidence for their persistence comes from later temple-building activities in West Bengal and the discovery of Jain images and ruins dating from the ninth century onwards. Pal concludes that although the Nirgranthas formed a smaller community compared with Brahmanical Hindus or Buddhists, their presence during Gopāla’s reign is undeniable. Recognising their existence helps explain the efflorescence of Jain art and architecture in Bengal from the ninth century. The article thus challenges the conventional view of a sudden Jain eclipse and calls for a nuanced understanding of inter-sect relations during the early Pāla period.
Conclusion
Pal concludes that the Nirgranthas were an integral yet often overlooked part of Bengal’s religious landscape during Gopāla’s reign. Political turmoil and persecution forced many Jains to migrate, but they did not vanish. Buddhist and Brahmanical writers used terms like pāṣaṇḍa to disparage them, yet inscriptions and later temple remains demonstrate that Jains persisted and contributed to the region’s religious life. Recognising their presence is essential for explaining the surge of Jain temple-building and image-making from the ninth century onward. The article urges scholars to reassess narratives of Jain decline and to appreciate the diversity of Bengal’s medieval religious communities.