Jaina Temples in East Bengal in the Seventeenth Century
Summary
In “Jaina Temples in East Bengal in the Seventeenth Century,” epigraphist D. C. Sirkar mines the three‑volume Jaina Inscriptions compiled by Puran Chand Nahar for evidence of medieval Jain activity in what is today Bangladesh. He notes that Nahar’s collection reproduces more than 2,500 inscriptions and, despite editorial shortcomings, preserves records that are no longer traceable. Sirkar focuses on two little‑known inscriptions that reveal Jaina establishments in eastern Bengal during the 1600s. The first comes from Kakan in Bihar and, dated April 1765, records installation of foot‑marks at Kakandi, identified with the birthplace of Tirthankara Suvidhinatha. The second inscription, found on a stone slab now at Patna, mentions a flourishing Digambara establishment at Dacca (Dhaka) during Shaista Khan’s governorship. Written mainly in Sanskrit with a Hindi conclusion, it records that Bhattaraka Rupacandra performed the installation ceremony and lists donors from the Simghavi merchant family. Sirkar analyses problematic readings and suggests that certain words refer to objects installed at Serapura. He discusses the business network of the Rajasthani merchant Hiranand and his sons, who established trading centres in eastern India, and speculates that the Dacca establishment may have been linked to their enterprise. The article examines place‑names such as Sherpur and appeals to researchers to locate the original inscription and search for more records in Bangladesh. By combining epigraphy with historical geography, Sirkar draws attention to a little‑studied chapter of Jainism’s expansion into eastern India and invites further research to corroborate and expand upon his findings.
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Conclusion
Sirkar’s investigation of two neglected inscriptions sheds light on the presence of Digambara Jain communities in seventeenth‑century eastern Bengal. By identifying Kakan with ancient Kakandi and uncovering a record of a Jain establishment at Dacca, the article demonstrates how epigraphy refines our understanding of Jain geographical spread. The study highlights merchant patronage and suggests links between religious institutions and trading networks. Given the fragmentary evidence, Sirkar urges scholars to recover additional inscriptions and re‑examine existing records so that the history of Jainism in Bangladesh can be reconstructed with greater certainty.