Re-formation of identity: The 19th-century Jain pilgrimage site of Shatrunjaya, Gujarat.

摘要

Shatrunjaya, located in Gujarat, India, is one of the most significant pilgrimage sites for Shvetambara Murtipujak Jains, who comprise the majority of Jains in western India. However, the histories, temples, and painted maps of the site suggest that Shatrunjaya acquired its current form only during the 19th century. First, among writings depicting the site, scientific and concrete descriptions based on 19th-century colonial surveys and writings became to prevail over the traditional depictions of a sacred and abstract site. Second, during the 19th century, a new form of patronage arose. This patronage, organized by the Sheth Anandji Kalyanji Pedhi, a religious trust that managed the site, emphasized the sacredness of the site and replaced the traditional form of patronage in which the harvest of merit was the most important cause. The architectural plans and styles of the temples built during this period also display much change. In place of the eclectic architecture found in the early 19th-century temples, a more rigid style based on traditional manuals and 13th-century Jain temple architecture became the norm in temple building. The final change can be found in patas, or painted maps, which depict Shatrunjaya. 19th-century patas display several changes, including the sole depiction of the site, topographically accurate depiction, and isolation of the site from surrounding areas.; These changes can be linked to a series of legal cases related to the ownership of Shatrunjaya, which continued from 1820 to 1926. During this period, the local Hindu rulers of Palitana, the area surrounding Shatrunjaya, claimed ownership and their rights to tax the site, and the Jains fought back. The legal cases were taken up to British colonial authorities, and while preparing for the series of legal cases, the Jains underwent a process of re-defining their identity according to the modern notions of religion and history. By looking at the various changes and legal cases related to Shatrunjaya during the 19th century, this dissertation argues that the modern identity of Shvetambara Murtipujak Jains was a socially constructed notion, based on the needs of the hegemonic forces of a particular religious community.