Edict of Religious Equality, Bukka I, Vijayanagara (1368 CE)
Edict of 10 Bhadra of Saka-year 1290 (24 August O.S./1 September N.S., 1368 CE) at Shravanabelagola. Copy of another edict erected five weeks previous at Kalya, Bangalore District.
After petitions from Jains complaining of injustices at Vaishnava hands, Bukka I of Vijayanagara called an assembly of Jains from Kalya, Shravanabelagola, Hampi, Anegundi, and Penukonda; Vaishnavas of eighteen castes (who are simply called 'the devout'); the priests of great temples, hermits, and commoners. The head representative of the Jains was one Busuvisetty of Kalya, and that of the Vaishnavas, Tatayya of Tirupati. There with the Vaishnavas and Jains hand in hand, Bukka declared the equality of the two faiths and forbade all anti-Jain discrimination, on the pain of the same punishment as for traitors and Brahmin-killers. A system of protection money is also established.
The Jain faith is accorded the same privileges as Vaishnavism (which was a religion of some royal patronage, although the Sangama kings were Saivas) and Vaishnavas are commanded to take news of this edict to every village in the realm. The edict was declared to last "as long as the Sun and Moon endure".
Context and analysis:
This was a relief for the Jain side which was ravaged by the clashes and had many of its temples (basadis) destroyed by the Srivaishnavas. The clashes had erupted because the Vaishnavas objected to the Jains' use of five great musical instruments and of kalashas in their processions. The edict restored Jain rights to these instruments and rituals, and Bukka ordered the reconstruction of the destroyed basadis, at least at Belagola. An attack on Jainism was commanded to be seen as equal to an attack on Vaishnavism. There was a catch - the Jains would have to pay protection money to the Vaishnavas annually, and this money would be split among a Vaishnava police force and public works.
The inscription at Sravanabelagola is a "toned down" version of the inscription at Kalya, which plainly describes the killings of Jains by Vaishnavas. The one at Belagola instead alludes simply to "injustices", an spends a lot more time discussing the protection money system. This may be because Tatayya was not present at Kalya, but was there when the Belagola edict was installed, so the Jain side - which wrote the inscriptions - wanted to keep things cordial.
While this protected Jains for the time, the religion continued on its long decline and never recovered, losing its folk religion status both to Shaivas and Vaishnavas as the Bhakti movement inexorably advanced. The Jains of the South are now far outnumbered in all Southern cities by Marwari Jains, retaining control only over the handful of rural basadis and monasteries in active use.
We learn about the edict in Kannada class in school, so thought I'd share.