Origin and History
Jainism originated in Ancient India, or the Indus Valley, and is the sixth largest practiced religion in India today. The religion dates back to the 6th century when tirthankaras, twenty-four great teachers of Jainism, began to shape, practice, lead, and teach Jainism. Today, there are approximately five million followers of Jainism, most of them residing in India.
The name of this religion comes from the word Jinas, meaning conquerers, a name given to the twenty-four tirthankaras. Although there is not a clear founder of Jainism, many people might argue that Mahavira, the last of the great teachers, acted as a founding figure. Others might argue that his predecessor, Parsva, was more of a founder due to the fact that of the twenty-four tirthankaras, he is the earliest one to have clear historical evidence of being an important figure in Jainism.
Jainism shares many roots and has many ties with Buddhism and Hinduism, partially due to their shared spot of origination. The religion declined when India was invaded by Islam rulers, and is less popular today than it was many years ago.
The name of this religion comes from the word Jinas, meaning conquerers, a name given to the twenty-four tirthankaras. Although there is not a clear founder of Jainism, many people might argue that Mahavira, the last of the great teachers, acted as a founding figure. Others might argue that his predecessor, Parsva, was more of a founder due to the fact that of the twenty-four tirthankaras, he is the earliest one to have clear historical evidence of being an important figure in Jainism.
Jainism shares many roots and has many ties with Buddhism and Hinduism, partially due to their shared spot of origination. The religion declined when India was invaded by Islam rulers, and is less popular today than it was many years ago.