The fact that Muslim kings proceeded against Jainas with fire and sword and tried to convert them forcefully to their religion should not mean that the relationship between Muslims and Jainas was always inimical, it appears much more that influential preachers like the Arabian missionary Pir Mahabir Khamdayat, who came to India in 1304, succeeded in making many Jainas of the Deccan Muslims by his sheer eloquence, and there were often peaceful and friendly contacts between Jainas and Muslims. Ala-ud-din whom Jainas called "Khuni ", the bloody fellow, had given the Jaina poet Ramachandra Suri many presents, and Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1351-1388) had honoured Ratnasekhara, the author of Sripalacharita. Particularly a few Mughals distinguished themselves by showing mercy to Jaina teachers. Emperor Akbar (1566-1605) showered kindness on the Swetambara abbot Hiravijaya and took so much active interest in the religious concepts of Jainas that there was even a rumour that he had secretly embraced Jaina-faith. At the behest of Hiravijaya, Akbar issued in the year 1593 an edict by which the five hills of Rajgir, the mountain Parasnath in Bihar and other shrines of Swetambaras were declared as places of cultural interest. The emperor forbade further the killing of animals in the surroundings of the holy districts, returned to Jainas the books which were robbed from them and did them many other good deeds. Akbar had also contacts with Hiravijaya's successor Vijayasena and with Jinachandra, the head of the kharatara-sect. Emperor Jeanie (1605-1627) attracted similarly initially Jinachandra and his successor Jinasirhha, whom he honoured with the title Yugapradhana, to his court and issued a Farman for the protection of Satrunjaya. Shah Jahan issued a similar Farman, and his sons Murad Baksh and Aurangzeb (1659-1707) awarded the district Satrunjaya with its income of 2 lakhs as Inam to the court-jeweller Satidas, a Jaina. Ahmad Shah (1748-1754) did the same thing with the mountain Parasnath. It was awarded to Jagat seth (world businessman) Mahtab Rai and his successors, to secure for the Jainas in this way an undisturbed Pilgrimage. |