Author:

Siddhartha Das
ICHR Junior Research Fellow,
Department of History
Bankura University
Bankura,West Bengal,India
Email: dassiddhartha288@gmail.com

Abstract:: This article examines the intellectual and religious life of Jain communities under the Delhi Sultanate (c. 1206–1526 CE) and Mughal Empire (1526-1857), focusing on eminent Jain monks and scholars who interacted with sultans and several emperors. Through the analysis of prabandha literature, monastic chronicles, inscriptions, and comparative studies with Persian sources, the paper explores how Jain intellectuals maintained scholastic vitality while negotiating their position within an Islamic polity. Figures such as Jinaprabha Sūri, Jinapati Sūri, Jinabhadra, Hiravijaya, Siddhicandra and others exemplify the adaptive strategies of Jain mendicants who engaged in diplomacy, intellectual exchange, and religious advocacy in the courts of the Sultans and the Mughal emperors. These encounters illuminate a vibrant yet cautious Jain presence within the cultural mosaic of the Muhammadan rule in Hindustan.

Key Words:: Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, Minorities, Muhammadan, Religion etc.