Emmy Noether Research Group
Alongside Hindus and Buddhist, the Jainas represent one of the oldest religious groups in India. The numerically relatively small community of the Jainas developed an entirely distinct culture (religion, art, architecture, philosophy) and looks back upon more than 2500 years of changing history. In the modern south Indian state of Karnataka, the Jainas experienced a period of great political and cultural flourishing from the 5th to the early 12th century CE, a period during which many kings and their ministers were Jainas. In the early 12th century, their influence allegedly came to a sudden end. The reasons for this abrupt and forceful change, however, have never been examined in detail.
In this interdisciplinary research project, political changes as well as their immediate affect on religion, art and architecture will for the first time be studied together. Historically, the main questions will concern the reasons for the sudden loss of power and the procedures employed to depose the Jainas. From a religious studies point of view, the influence this had on the beliefs, the philosophy and the ritual of the Jainas will be of major concern. Art historically, the further development of certain Jaina pilgrimage centres, even after the loss of power on the one side, and the forcible conversion of Jaina into Hindu temples on the other, will also be analysed and interpreted in the light of the other two disciplines. Through a combination of results from the three different subject areas, this intriguing and so far widely neglected period in the history of south India will for the first time be presented in a more holistic and complete way, explaining the lasting importance of the Jaina community in Karnataka today.
From Left to Right: Sabine Scholz, Julia Lauer, Julia Hegewald, Pius Pinto (October 2005)
Team Members
- Julia Hegewald (PDF, 31 KB)
- Pius Pinto (PDF, 66 KB)
- Sabine Scholz (PDF, 26 KB)
- Julia Lauer (PDF, 108 KB)
Irene Martin Alvarez; Navina Sarma; Claudia Scheufele; Anna Shiian; Rebecca Steiner; Klaus Vettel
Publications by Team Members
- Julia Hegewald, bibliography (PDF, 137 KB)
- Pius Pinto, bibliography (PDF, 30 KB)
- Sabine Scholz and Julia Lauer, bibliography (PDF, 9 KB)
Articles about the Project
For articles about the project, please click below:
- Emmy Noether Brochure 09 (PDF, 88 KB)
- SAI Report 2005 (PDF, 623 KB)
- SAI Report 2006 (PDF, 391 KB)
- SAI Report 2007 (a) (PDF, 1,321 KB)
- SAI Report 2007 (b) (PDF, 1,680 KB)
- Jaina Studies: Newsletter of the Centre of Jaina Studies, SOAS 2007 (PDF, 352 KB)
- DFG Brochure (Research Focus: India) (PDF, 110 KB)
Project Events
Mahamastakabhisheka 2006: Exhibition at the South Asian Institute (University of Heidelberg, June 2006)
- Invitation (PDF, 466 KB)
- Press Release (PDF, 350 KB)
- Photos of the Ceremony (PDF, 48 KB)
International Conference on Jainism in Karnataka (Bangalore, February 2007)
- About the Conference (SAI Report 2007) (PDF, 1,680 KB)
- Programme (PDF, 21 KB)
Project Databases
Specialist Reading Suggestions
For specialist reading suggestions of the team members, please click below:
- Reading suggestions on Jaina art and architecture (PDF, 157 KB)
- Reading suggestions on Jaina history (PDF, 22 KB)
- Reading suggestions on Jaina history (in Kannada) (PDF, 162 KB)
- Reading suggestions on Jaina religion and rituals (PDF, 140 KB)
Selected Publications by Julia Hegewald
For some selected publications by Julia Hegewald, please click below:
- Jagannatha Compared: The Politics of Appropriation, Re-use and Regional Traditions in India (With Subrata K. Mitra) (PDF, 883 KB)
- Jaina Temple Architecture: A Progression from Images to Shrines and Temple Cities (PDF, 6,577 KB)
- Architectural, Sculptural and Religious Change: A New Interpretation of the Jaina Temples at Khajuraho (PDF, 2,501 KB)
- Domes, Tombs and Minarets: Islamic Influences on Jaina Architecture (PDF, 1,099 KB)
Contact Information
For further information, please contact the head of the research group, Dr. Julia A. B. Hegewald
E-mail:
Tel: +44(0)161 306 1794
Office: Mansfield Cooper Building 3.5, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK