Gleanings from the Kharataragacchapattavali
Summary
This article mines the Kharataragacchapattavali—a Jain chronicle completed around V.S. 1393—for political information spanning 1010–1336 AD. The Pattavali records the lineage of Jain Kharatara sect teachers and narrates their dealings with rulers of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi. The author concentrates on these interactions, revealing that despite the dominance of rival Caityavasin monks at court, King Durlabharaja Caulukya patronised the small Kharatara sect because its doctrines aligned with Jain scriptures. Acaryas such as Abhayadeva and Jinavallabha are portrayed as scholars and reformers who negotiated with kings: Naravarman Paramara offered Jinavallabha money or land, but he requested daily revenue for Kharatara temples at Chitore instead, a story that illuminates the extent of Paramara control and Mewar’s political status. The chronicle also recounts contacts with rulers like Kumarapala of Tribhuvanagiri, Madanapala of Delhi, Arnoraja and Prithviraja III of Ajmer, Udayasimha and Chachigadeva of Jalor, and the Delhi sultans Qutbuddin Khilji and Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, noting evidence of royal tolerance towards Jains. Through these vignettes the article shows that Jain monastic leaders acted as mediators and advisers and that their chronicle supplements our knowledge of regional politics. Linguistically, the Pattavali combines Sanskrit with colloquial elements to make its history accessible to lay readers.
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Conclusion
The study concludes that the Kharataragacchapattavali, though a sectarian chronicle, is an indispensable historical source. Its accounts of Jain acaryas’ relations with rulers illuminate political developments in western India, highlight episodes of religious tolerance and reveal the influence of monastic leaders. Extracting political data from such texts enriches our understanding of medieval Indian history and underscores the value of Jain literary sources.