Editing Jainism (section)

===Colonial era===
[[File:Virchand Gandhi poster.jpg|thumb|A poster of [[Virchand Gandhi]], who represented Jainism at the [[Parliament of the World's Religions]] in [[Chicago]] in 1893]]
[[File:Shrimad Rajchandra Spiritual Centre (cropped).jpg|thumb|A 34-foot-tall idol of [[Shrimad Rajchandra]] at [[Dharampur, Gujarat|Dharampur]], [[Valsad district|Valsad]]]]

A Gujarati Jain scholar, [[Virchand Gandhi]], represented Jainism at the first [[World Parliament of Religions]] in 1893, held in America during the [[World's Columbian Exposition|Chicago World's Fair]]. He worked to defend the rights of Jains and wrote and lectured extensively on Jainism.<ref name=it>{{cite web |title=Virchand Gandhi – a Gandhi before Gandhi An unsung Gandhi who set course for his namesake |url=http://www.indiatribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9374:virchand-gandhi--a-gandhi-before-gandhi-an-unsung-gandhi-who-set-course-for-his-namesake-&catid=25:community&Itemid=457 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822022233/http://www.indiatribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9374:virchand-gandhi--a-gandhi-before-gandhi-an-unsung-gandhi-who-set-course-for-his-namesake-&catid=25:community&Itemid=457 |work=[[India Tribune]] |archive-date=22 August 2012 |access-date=17 August 2012}}</ref><ref name=OpenCourt>{{cite book|last=Howard|first=Mrs. Charles|title=The Open Court, Vol. 16, Nr. 4 "The Death of Mr. Virchand R. Gandhi"|date=April 1902|publisher=[[The Open Court Publishing Company]] |location=Chicago |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i-IeAQAAIAAJ&q=gandh&pg=PA51|language=en}}</ref>

[[Shrimad Rajchandra]], a mystic, poet and philosopher from [[Gujarat]] is believed to have attained ''jatismaran gnana'' (ability to recollect past lives) at the age of seven. Virchand Gandhi mentioned this feat at the Parliament of the World's Religions.<ref name="KarbhariGāndhī1911">{{cite book|author1=Bhagu F. Karbhari|author2=Vīrchand Rāghavajī Gāndhī|title=The Jain Philosophy: Collected and Ed. by Baghu F. Karbhari|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L5kWQQAACAAJ|year=1911|publisher=N.M. Tripathi & Company|pages=116–120|language=en}}</ref> He is best known because of his association with Mahatma Gandhi.{{sfn|Salter|2002|p=145}} Shrimad Rajchandra composed [[Atma Siddhi|Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra]], considered his magnum opus, containing the essence of Jainism in a single sitting of 1.5–2 hours.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wiley|first=Kristi L.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/647405338|title=The A to Z of Jainism|date=2006|publisher=Vision Books|isbn=81-7094-690-5|location=New Delhi|oclc=647405338|language=en}}</ref> He expounds on the six fundamental truths of the soul:<ref>{{Cite book|last=Doshi|first=Manu|title=Srimad Rajachandra's Atma-Siddhi (in Gujarati and English)|publisher=Koba: Srimad Rajachandra Adhyatmik Sadhana Kendra}}</ref>

# Self (soul) exists
# It is permanent and eternal
# It is the doer of its own actions
# It is the enjoyer or the sufferer of its actions
# Liberation exists
# There is a path to achieve liberation.

Colonial era reports and Christian missions variously viewed Jainism as a sect of Hinduism, a sect of Buddhism, or a distinct religion.<ref>{{cite book |first=Gajanan Krishna |last=Bhatavadekar |title=Report on the Census of the Baroda Territories 1881 |url={{Google books|4AEJAAAAQAAJ |plainurl=yes}} |year=1867 |publisher=[[Government of India]] |page=31 note 140}}</ref>{{sfn|Hopkins|1902|p=283}}{{sfn|Sunavala|1934|pp=91–93}} Christian missionaries were frustrated at Jain people without pagan creator gods refusing to convert to Christianity, while colonial era Jain scholars such as [[Champat Rai Jain]] defended Jainism against criticism and misrepresentation by Christian activists.{{sfn|Jaini|2000|p=33}} Missionaries of Christianity and Islam considered Jain traditions idolatrous and superstitious.{{sfn|Hackett|2008|pp=63–68}} These criticisms, states [[John E. Cort]], were flawed and ignored similar practices within sects of Christianity.{{sfn|Cort|2010|pp=12–16, 200–207, 218–219, 251 with note 10}}

The British colonial government in India and Indian princely states promoted religious tolerance. However, laws were passed that made roaming naked by anyone an arrestable crime. This drew popular support from the majority Hindu population, but particularly impacted Digambara monks.{{sfn|Flügel|2006|pp=348–349}} The Akhil Bharatiya Jain Samaj opposed this law, claiming that it interfered with Jain religious rights. Acharya [[Shantisagar]] entered Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1927, but was forced to cover his body. He then led an India-wide tour as the naked monk with his followers, to various Digambara sacred sites, and was welcomed by kings of the Maharashtra provinces.{{sfn|Flügel|2006|pp=348–349}} Shantisagar fasted to oppose the restrictions imposed on Digambara monks by the [[British Raj]] and prompted their discontinuance.{{sfn|Natubhai Shah|2004|p=56}} The laws were abolished by India after independence.{{sfn|Flügel|2006|pp=359–360}}