300 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



in this connection ; for I hold the sect to be chiefly 

 useful as illustrating the tendency of all things (re- 

 ligions included) to run to seed, however admirable 

 and useful they may have been at first. There are 

 many reasons to conclude that Jainism is the most 

 recent of the great religious systems of India, and 

 there is really no evidence of the least value to prove 

 its existence prior to the eighth century of the Chris- 

 tian era. It is merely lingering Budhism accommo- 

 dating itself to the corrupt Hinduism of later times. 

 To a certain extent the Vedas are acknowledged by 

 the Jains ; they revere Brahmans, and not *only re- 

 spect, but to a certain extent practise, Hindu rites. 

 On Girnar the universal salutation to me of the Jain 

 pilgrims was " Shri ! Shri ! Sita - Rama ! " Rama 

 being the most favourite incarnation of Vishnu, and 

 Sita being his well-known spouse. They are also 

 observers of caste to some extent ; and even the 

 orthodox Hindus will admit them to the warrior 

 caste, on their renouncing their heretical doctrines. 

 The worst historical accusation which can be brought 

 against the Jains is, that they aided the Brahmans 

 in extirpating the Budhism from which they them- 

 selves sprang, and extirpating the Budhists also. 



The Budhist doctrine of emancipated beings finds 

 its place in Jainism, but in a peculiar form. TVe 

 hear nothing of a line of Biidhas, or of the particular 

 semi-idolatrous images of Tibet and China, such as 

 the Queen of Heaven and the Heavenly General. In 



