JAINA TEMPLES IN RAJASTHAN (C.8TH – 15TH CENTURY): ARCHITECTURE, PATRONAGE AND CULTURAL MILIEUS

Abstract

This article re-examines Jaina temples in early medieval Rajasthan by bringing together architectural analysis, inscriptional evidence and the socio-economic contexts of their production. Rather than treating these temples either as isolated religious monuments or as purely stylistic developments, it argues for a more integrated reading in which architecture, patronage and cultural networks are understood as interdependent processes.
Between roughly the eighth and fifteenth centuries CE, Rajasthan witnessed the expansion of Jaina sacred architecture alongside the rise of influential merchant communities. The article suggests that temple construction should be understood not only as an expression of religious devotion but also as a structured mode of social and economic practice. Merchant patronage played a central role in converting wealth into enduring forms of cultural and religious visibility, particularly through temple building and inscriptional commemoration.

Architecturally, the development of the Maru-Gurjara style reflects the convergence of aesthetic refinement and sustained patronage networks. Its complex spatial organisation and detailed carving practices point to a close relationship between ritual requirements, artistic labour and material resources. At the same time, pilgrimage routes and artisan mobility contributed to the circulation of architectural forms across western India, embedding Rajasthan within wider regional networks.

By situating Jaina temples at the intersection of architecture, economy and inscriptional culture, this article offers a relational reading of sacred space in early medieval Rajasthan. It argues that these temples functioned as dynamic institutions through which religious meaning, social identity and economic power were continuously negotiated.