Jain ideology in ancient Bengal developed in two main phases: an early period (pre-Mauryan to 7th–8th century CE) and a later phase (post-Gupta to 13th century CE) marked by the emergence of local rulers. Early references to Jainism in Bengal include the 4th-century BCE Hatigumpha inscription, where King Khāravela of Kalinga, a Jain devotee, retrieved a Jina image taken by a Nanda ruler of Gangaridai, indicating possible Jain influence in the region.
Archaeological finds such as a Jain terracotta plaque from Murshidabad (Maurya-Sunga period) and an inscription from Mathura (150 CE) referencing a Jain monk from Rāḍha suggest a well-established Jain presence by the 1st century CE. Discoveries like the terracotta figure of Naigamesha in Burdwan further indicate Jainism’s integration into local folk practices during the Kuṣāṇa period.
By the early medieval era, Jainism likely persisted in areas like Kumariparvata, supported by regional monastic movements, particularly from the Tāmraliptikā branch.[2]
Gupta period
The next substantial evidence for the spread of Jainism in ancient Bengal is a copper-plate grant dated Gupta Era year 159 (479 CE), found at Paharpur in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Known primarily for its Pāla Buddhist monastery, this inscription marks the earliest archaeological Jain record in Bengal during the Gupta period (Dikshit, 1983). It documents an endowment by a Brahmin couple, Nāthaśarman and his wife Rāmī, who donated lands for the worship of Arhats at the Vaṭa-Gōhālī vihāra, overseen by disciples of the Nirgrantha Śramaṇācārya Guhanadin from the pañchastūpa section of Kāśi.
The Vaṭa-Gōhālī vihāra likely corresponds to the present-day site of Paharpur. Despite limited Jain artifacts, the donation by a Brahmin couple for Jain worship illustrates notable religious tolerance in the region. The inscription implies Guhanadin’s discipleship lineage and indicates his activity around the late 4th century CE, placing the foundation of the vihāra about 50 years prior.
The term pañchastūpa (five-stupa) sect is referenced in Digambara literature; eminent monks such as Virasena and Jinasena were part of this sect. Harishena's Bṛhatkathākośa records the establishment of five stūpas at Mathura, suggesting an early Digambara presence that possibly spread to Bengal. Other records from the period, such as the Jagadishpur copper plate (448 CE), further illustrate Jain influence.
The Jagadishpur plate, acquired by the Varendra Research Museum in 1961, confirms land grants for the Mecikāmra siddhāyatana in Puṇḍravardhana and affiliated Jain religious structures. This siddhāyatana, potentially a Jain establishment, suggests North Bengal's Jain presence during the Gupta period, with donations from agrarian families. Together with records from Nāthaśarman and Rāmī’s donation, these findings underscore Jainism’s significant reach and support among diverse social classes in Bengal.[3]
Earlier scholars believed (Gupta, 1993-94) that Jainism nearly disappeared from ancient Bengal after the seventh century CE, with Xuanzang’s travel account being the last evidence of its popularity. However, recent discoveries confirm that Jainism persisted and flourished in the Rāḍha region of Bengal up to the twelfth or thirteenth century CE.
Xuanzang’s account, from around 638 CE, indicates that Jainism retained a stronghold in Bengal during the seventh century, describing it as the dominant faith in two prominent regions: Pundravardhana in the north and Samatata in southeastern Bengal.
There were twenty Buddhist Monasteries and above 3000 Brethren by whom the “Great and Little Vehicles” were followed: the Deva Temples were 100 in number, and the followers of the various sects lived pell-mell, the Digambara Nirgranths being very numerous.
It had more than 30 Buddhist Monasteries… There were 100 Deva Temples, the various sects lived pell-mell, and the Digambara Nirgranthas were very numerous.
Based on Xuanzang’s descriptions, it can be inferred that during the post-Gupta period, Digambara Jain Nirgranths were more numerous than followers of Buddhism and Brahmanical ideologies in both northern and southeastern Bengal. This prominence suggests that Jainism continued to thrive in Bengal, possibly due to sustained support from the Pundravardhanīya and Tāmraliptika Śākhās.[4]
Early medieval period
Jainism was gradually overshadowed by the Buddhist influence in the Pāla strongholds of North Bengal, parts of Bihar, and the Samatata region. Without royal patronage and faced with strong Brahmanical and Buddhist religious currents, Jainism struggled to thrive independently. However, it did survive, particularly in the upland areas of Western Bengal, likely due to the support of the trading community.
The Dudhpani inscription, found in Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand, mentions merchants traveling from Ayodhya to Tamralipta and is dated paleographically to about the eighth century CE. Field surveys have also documented inscribed Jain images in Purulia, Bankura, and Burdwan districts. These inscriptions refer to donors and are dated to the ninth/tenth through twelfth/thirteenth centuries CE, suggesting sponsorship by the Jain mercantile community.
Unfortunately, no Pāla or Sena period epigraphic records from northern Bengal have been discovered to detail Jainism’s spread. However, the Bangarh inscription from the reign of Nayapala (c. 1042–58 CE) indirectly refers to Jain monks in the Bangarh region. The inscription praises a Śaiva teacher, Guru Murtisiva, who defeated Jain Digambara ascetics in religious debates:
This indicates that Jainism persisted, albeit with diminished influence, in parts of Bengal and that Śaiva teachers competed with them to establish dominance.
Fieldwork reveals that from the eighth or ninth century onward, Jainism reached its peak in the plateau region of ancient Bengal, particularly in Rāḍha (zones I & III). Isolated, resource-rich, and conducive to non-farming activities, this region likely drew Jain communities, whose members were involved in local trade and resource extraction. The area’s archaeological wealth—temple complexes, sculptures, and architectural remains—suggests it was a thriving Jain center up to the thirteenth century CE.
Western Bengal’s plateau region, known for its sparse forest cover and deposits of metals and minerals, may have been attractive to Jains, locally known as Saraks, for its economic potential. Local traditions of ironworking among tribes like the Bhumij and Asura likely supplemented Jain mercantile interests in resource procurement and trade.
Notably, Beglar describes trade routes connecting Tamluk with Patna and other regions, facilitating the movement of Jain merchants. He writes:
Jain sculptures with inscriptions in localized Gauḍī script have also been found, reflecting local patronage and recording the names of donors, such as “dānapati Śakalamagana” on a Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhanātha image from Bhabanipur in Purulia, and “dānapati Sanadeva” on a Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha image from Tumba. These inscriptions, though often in corrupt Sanskrit, document Jain patronage in the region.
One noteworthy early medieval Jain saint, Somadeva, author of the Yaśastilakacampū, was originally from Bengal and mentions a Jain shrine at Tamralipta in his writings. Further association of Jainism with Bengal appears in the Vasantavilasa by Balachandra Suri (thirteenth century CE), which notes visits to Jain temples in Ladha, Gauda, and other regions.
Jainism, thus, remained a major religious ideology in eastern India from the eighth century CE onwards. This is evident from the archaeological distribution of Jain sites and sculptural remains, especially across modern-day West Bengal.[5]
Saraks are a Jain community in Bihar, Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bangladesh. They have been followers of Jainism since ancient times; however, they were isolated and sain community in western, northern and southern India.
According to Ramesh Chandra Majumder, the Jain scholar Bhadrabahu, the second Louhacharya and the author of Kalpa Sutra may have come from the Sarak community.[6] The Saraks were agriculturists and moneylenders having landed properties.
They have continued to remain vegetarian even though this practice is uncommon among other communities in the region. Saraks have Parshva as a favored patron and recite the Ṇamōkāra mantra. The 24th TirthankaraMahavira visited this region according to the Kalpa Sūtra.
In 2009, more than 165 Sarak Jains living in parts of West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand visited the ancient Jain pilgrimage center of Shravanabelagola. A special function to welcome the Sarak Jains was organised at Shravanabelagola.[7]
Demographics
Population by district
Most of the Bengali Jains now live in the Indian state of West Bengal.
^Kundu, Santosh Kumar (2008). Bangali Hindu Jati Parichay [An Introduction of Bengali Hindu Castes] (in Bengali). Kolkata: Presidency Library. pp. 273–275. ISBN978-81-89466-13-8.
^"> News Updates". Www.Jainheritagecentres.Com. 2 September 2009. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
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