AHC: Jainist India

[Orsino]

In OTL Jains make up less than half a percent of the population of India yet Jainism has historically been enormously important and influential within Indian culture. With a POD no earlier than 200 CE is it possible for Jainism to replace Hinduism as the largest single religion within modern India? If not exactly how large could Jainism become with the right conditions?

 

[Herzen's love-child]

Have the Indus River civilization endure. There's evidence that Jainism was somehow associated with this culture and may even reflect earlier origins yet. In any event, it was a pre-Vedic religion that seemed to once have been far more prevalent.
Other possible time/places to butterfly: Kalinga surviving both the Nada and Ashoka invasions. Have the Western Gangas (Karnataka) of the 8th Century AD fare better.
Both of these places/dynasties at times were often very big propagators of Jainism.

Ahhh, but you specify a POD no earlier than 200 CE. You do know how to make it hard, don't you.

 

[Emperor Julian]

I think its really impossible, a nation of pacifists would be too easily invaded.

 

[Hrvatskiwi]

Buddhism is generally pacifistic, but there were plenty of powerful Buddhist or majority-Buddhist empires. There's no reason why Jainism wouldn't slightly adapt to make defensive warfare fine (kinda like the original Muslim concept of jihad.

 

[Kishan]

Unlike Buddhism, Jainism didn't have powerful emperors to support it and propagate it. Buddhism had great emperors like Ashoka, Kanishka and Harsha who sponsored it, still it could not hold out against a resurgent Hinduism. Jainism had fewer rulers to support it. Though Chandragupta Maurya, the first historical emperor and grandfather of Ashoka embraced Jainism before his death, he did it after renouncing the throne and power. Further the Jainism was more conservative and enforced stricter rules of non-violence that made it less attractive than Buddhism. In course of time, Jainism became very similar to Hinduism and came to be viewed almost as a sect of Hinduism.

 

[Herzen's love-child]

Unlike Buddhism, Jainism didn't have powerful emperors to support it and propagate it.

With the exception of Kharavela of Kalinga who in the 2nd Century BCE was a great patron of Jainism and who ruled over much of the sub-continent.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kharavela

 

[Orsino]

I think its really impossible, a nation of pacifists would be too easily invaded.

As I understand it the Jains make an exception to their principle of non-violence for soldiers (and historically religious principles tend to be subordinated to martial requirements) so I see no reason why Jainism would be an obstacle to the defence of the state or even violent expansion.

 

[Iori]

Buddhism is generally pacifistic, but there were plenty of powerful Buddhist or majority-Buddhist empires. There's no reason why Jainism wouldn't slightly adapt to make defensive warfare fine (kinda like the original Muslim concept of jihad.

Buddhism is'nt Pacifistic, it's just generally anti-violence and killing when you don't have to.

As I understand it the Jains make an exception to their principle of non-violence for soldiers (and historically religious principles tend to be subordinated to martial requirements)

It does'nt, the belief in Ahimsa (non-violence) is absolute and complete, their are no exceptions, regardless of the situation.

 

[Herzen's love-child]

It does'nt, the belief in Ahimsa (non-violence) is absolute and complete, their are no exceptions, regardless of the situation.

Perhaps that is more so the case in the practice of Jainism as it has been practiced in more recent centuries but it would appear, from the fact that some rather militant rulers in India's past promoted Jainism (and some possibly even adopted it) that Ahimsa (somewhat like the Pirate's Code) was seen as guidelines rather than absolutes. Even today, There is a view in Jainism that subscribes to a hierarchy of the practice of Ahimsa.

 

[Orsino]

Let's not forget I'm talking about eighteen centuries to play with here so some alternate religious evolution that allows Jainism to be more military-friendly is entirely possible, but if we accept the idea that Jains would be unable to hold power over the sub-continent how large a religion could they be and how might the acquire an autonomous state of their own?