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Jainism Spread Map

Where and when Jainism spread, arrived, was established, declined or was revived, in the places and years the historical record gives.

Map

Jainism Spread Map Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Finland France French Polynesia Gabon Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guam Guatemala Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Laos Latvia Lebanon Libya Lithuania Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Malta Mauritius Mexico Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Jain Monks Migrate South To Karnataka In A Famine, Karnataka, 324 BCE to 297 BCE, ArrivedThe Digambara-Svetambara Split Is Completed, India, 1 to 454, EstablishedKushan-Era Inscriptions at Mathura Date Jainism's Earliest Named Community, India, 82, EstablishedDevarddhi-gani Redacts the Svetambara Canon at Valabhi, India, 453, EstablishedRavikirti Dedicates the Meguti Jain Temple at Aihole, Karnataka, 634, EstablishedJinasena Composes the Adipurana at Amoghavarsha's Rashtrakuta Court, Karnataka, 850, EstablishedJagatchandra Suri Founds the Tapa Gaccha, Rajasthan, 1228, EstablishedAkbar Confers the Title Jagadguru on Hiravijaya Suri, India, 1583, EstablishedJains Build The First Temple Outside India In Zanzibar, Tanzania, 1905, EstablishedZanzibar's Revolution Displaces Its Jain Temple, Tanzania, 1964, SuppressedIdi Amin's Expulsion Scatters East Africa's Jains, Uganda, 1972, SuppressedJains Consecrate The First Temple In The West At Leicester, United Kingdom, 1973 to 1988, EstablishedAcharya Sushil Kumarji Founds Siddhachalam, The First Jain Tirtha Outside India, United States, 1983 to 2012, EstablishedIndia Grants Jains National Minority Status, India, 2014, EstablishedIndia's Government Halts Tourism at the Jain Site of Sammed Shikharji, India, 2023, EstablishedJAINA Holds Its Twenty Third Biennial Convention in Chicago, United States, 2025, Established

Point at, tap, or move keyboard focus to a marker for its event, place, year and status.

Marker size and shape show how established the tradition was there: a small filled dot for an arrival, a larger one for an established or dominant presence, and a hollow, distinct marker where it was suppressed or nearly disappeared, never simply absent.

1 event has a recorded place with no map coordinate yet, so it is not marked on the map above: Chavundaraya Consecrates the Gommateshvara Statue at Shravanabelagola (Shravanabelagola). It is complete in the list below.

Spoken Chronology

Jain Monks Migrate South To Karnataka In A Famine. Karnataka, 324 BCE to 297 BCE, Arrived. Source, Digambara (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

The Digambara-Svetambara Split Is Completed. India, 1 to 454, Established. Source, Digambara (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Kushan-Era Inscriptions at Mathura Date Jainism's Earliest Named Community. India, 82, Established. Source, Vincent A. Smith, The Jain Stupa and Other Antiquities of Mathura (Archaeological Survey of India, 1901).

Devarddhi-gani Redacts the Svetambara Canon at Valabhi. India, 453, Established. Source, Devarddhi-gani: Canon Redaction at Valabhi (Jainpedia).

Ravikirti Dedicates the Meguti Jain Temple at Aihole. Karnataka, 634, Established. Source, The Jain Temple of Meguti (Archaeological Survey of India, Dharwad Circle).

Jinasena Composes the Adipurana at Amoghavarsha's Rashtrakuta Court. Karnataka, 850, Established. Source, Paul Dundas, The Jains (Routledge, Second Edition).

Chavundaraya Consecrates the Gommateshvara Statue at Shravanabelagola. Shravanabelagola, 981, Established. Source, Shravanabelagola (Karnataka Tourism, Government of Karnataka).

Jagatchandra Suri Founds the Tapa Gaccha. Rajasthan, 1228, Established. Source, Gaccha (Encyclopedia.com).

Akbar Confers the Title Jagadguru on Hiravijaya Suri. India, 1583, Established. Source, The Jains.

Jains Build The First Temple Outside India In Zanzibar. Tanzania, 1905, Established. Source, Zanzibar Derasar (Jain Treasures).

Zanzibar's Revolution Displaces Its Jain Temple. Tanzania, 1964, Suppressed. Source, Zanzibar Derasar (Jain Treasures).

Idi Amin's Expulsion Scatters East Africa's Jains. Uganda, 1972, Suppressed. Source, Jainism In Africa (Wikipedia).

Jains Consecrate The First Temple In The West At Leicester. United Kingdom, 1973 to 1988, Established. Source, Jainism In The United Kingdom (Wikipedia).

Acharya Sushil Kumarji Founds Siddhachalam, The First Jain Tirtha Outside India. United States, 1983 to 2012, Established. Source, About Siddhachalam (Siddhachalam.org).

India Grants Jains National Minority Status. India, 2014, Established. Source, Jains in India Get Minority Status (Al Jazeera).

India's Government Halts Tourism at the Jain Site of Sammed Shikharji. India, 2023, Established. Source, Sammed Shikharji Eco Sensitive Zone Tourism Stay (Press Information Bureau, Government of India).

JAINA Holds Its Twenty Third Biennial Convention in Chicago. United States, 2025, Established. Source, JAINA Convention 2025 (JAINA).

Full Chronology

Every recorded spread event for this tradition, in date order, complete: 17 events.

  1. Jain Monks Migrate South To Karnataka In A FamineKarnataka, 324 BCE to 297 BCE, Arrived
    Source Digambara (Encyclopaedia Britannica)The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
  2. The Digambara-Svetambara Split Is CompletedIndia, 1 to 454, Established
    Source Digambara (Encyclopaedia Britannica)The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
  3. Kushan-Era Inscriptions at Mathura Date Jainism's Earliest Named CommunityIndia, 82, Established
    Source Vincent A. Smith, The Jain Stupa and Other Antiquities of Mathura (Archaeological Survey of India, 1901)Vincent A. Smith
  4. Devarddhi-gani Redacts the Svetambara Canon at ValabhiIndia, 453, Established
    Source Devarddhi-gani: Canon Redaction at Valabhi (Jainpedia)
  5. Ravikirti Dedicates the Meguti Jain Temple at AiholeKarnataka, 634, Established
    Source The Jain Temple of Meguti (Archaeological Survey of India, Dharwad Circle)
  6. Jinasena Composes the Adipurana at Amoghavarsha's Rashtrakuta CourtKarnataka, 850, Established
    Source Paul Dundas, The Jains (Routledge, Second Edition)Paul Dundas
  7. Chavundaraya Consecrates the Gommateshvara Statue at ShravanabelagolaShravanabelagola, 981, Established
    Source Shravanabelagola (Karnataka Tourism, Government of Karnataka)
  8. Jagatchandra Suri Founds the Tapa GacchaRajasthan, 1228, Established
    Source Gaccha (Encyclopedia.com)
  9. Akbar Confers the Title Jagadguru on Hiravijaya SuriIndia, 1583, Established
    Source The JainsPaul Dundas
  10. Jains Build The First Temple Outside India In ZanzibarTanzania, 1905, Established
    Source Zanzibar Derasar (Jain Treasures)Jain Treasures
  11. Zanzibar's Revolution Displaces Its Jain TempleTanzania, 1964, Suppressed
    Source Zanzibar Derasar (Jain Treasures)Jain Treasures
  12. Idi Amin's Expulsion Scatters East Africa's JainsUganda, 1972, Suppressed
    Source Jainism In Africa (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
  13. Jains Consecrate The First Temple In The West At LeicesterUnited Kingdom, 1973 to 1988, Established
    Source Jainism In The United Kingdom (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
  14. Acharya Sushil Kumarji Founds Siddhachalam, The First Jain Tirtha Outside IndiaUnited States, 1983 to 2012, Established
    Source About Siddhachalam (Siddhachalam.org)
  15. India Grants Jains National Minority StatusIndia, 2014, Established
    Source Jains in India Get Minority Status (Al Jazeera)
  16. India's Government Halts Tourism at the Jain Site of Sammed ShikharjiIndia, 2023, Established
    Source Sammed Shikharji Eco Sensitive Zone Tourism Stay (Press Information Bureau, Government of India)
  17. JAINA Holds Its Twenty Third Biennial Convention in ChicagoUnited States, 2025, Established
    Source JAINA Convention 2025 (JAINA)