The Jains in India are the last direct representatives of the ancient Shramana tradition. People who practice Jainism, an ancient religion of the Indian subcontinent, are collectively referred to as Jains.

Sangha

Jainism has a fourfold order of muni (male monastics), aryika (female monastics), Śrāvaka (layman) and sravika (laywoman). This order is known as a sangha.. Many Jains are in general caste.

Cultural influence

The Jain have the highest literacy rate in India, 94.1.% compared with the national average of 65.38%. They have the highest female literacy rate, 90.6.% compared with the national average of 54.16%.[1][2]

As per national survey NFHS-4 conducted in 2018 Jains were declared wealthiest of any community with 70% of their population living in top quintiles of wealth.[3] The sex ratio in the 0-6 age group is the second lowest for Jain (870 females per 1,000 males).

Communities

Jains are found in almost every part of India. There are about 100 different Jain communities in India. They can be divided into six groups based on historical and current residence:

Central India

Western India

Northern India

Southern India

Eastern India

Diaspora

Virchand Gandhi made a presentation of Jainism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893, marking one of the earliest appearances of Jainism outside India.[4] The World Jain Congress was held in Leicester in 1988.[5]

Population

The Jain population in India according to 2011 census is 0.54% i.e. 4,451,753 (Males 2,278,097; Females 2,173,656) out of the total population of India 1,210,854,977 (males 623,270,258; females 587,584,719).[8] The tabular representation of Jain population in the major states of India as per 2011 Census data released by the government is:

S. No.StatePersons (total)Persons (rural)Persons (urban)Male (total)Male (rural)Male (urban)Female (total)Female (rural)Female (urban)
1India4,451,753904,8093,546,9442,278,097467,5771,810,5202,173,656437,2321,736,424
2Maharashtra1,400,349269,9591,130,390713,157140,476572,681687,192129,483557,709
3Rajasthan622,023166,322455,701317,61484,649232,965304,40981,673222,736
4Gujarat579,65444,118535,536294,91122,357272,554284,74321,761262,982
5Madhya Pradesh567,028109,699457,329291,93757,431234,506275,09152,268222,823
6Karnataka440,280220,362219,918225,544113,598111,946214,736106,764107,972
7Uttar Pradesh213,26730,144183,123110,99415,85295,142102,27314,29287,981
8Delhi166,231192166,03985,6059485,51180,6269880,528
9Tamil Nadu89,26510,08479,18145,6055,04440,56143,6605,04038,620

Jain Population By Country in 2024 (approx)[9]

Country Approximate Jain Population Notes
India 5,000,000 Majority of the Jain population is in India.
United States 100,000 – 200,000 Concentrations in cities with significant Indian communities.
Canada 10,000 – 20,000 Particularly in cities with large South Asian populations.
United Kingdom 20,000 – 30,000 Concentrations in areas with diverse South Asian communities.
Australia 5,000 – 10,000 Mainly in cities like Melbourne and Sydney.
East Africa Limited presence Historical communities in countries like Kenya and Tanzania among the Indian diaspora. Numbers may have diminished.
Kenya 5,000 – 10,000 Historical Jain communities among the Indian diaspora.
Tanzania 2,000 – 5,000 Historical Jain communities among the Indian diaspora.
South Africa 2,000 – 5,000 Mainly in cities with Indian communities.
Singapore 1,000 – 3,000 Concentrations in the Indian diaspora.
UAE 5,000 – 10,000 Mainly in cities with significant Indian expatriate populations.
Malaysia 3,000 – 7,000 Concentrations in areas with Indian communities.
Indonesia 1,000 – 3,000 Mainly in areas with Indian communities.
Thailand 1,000 – 2,000 Concentrations in cities with Indian expatriates.
Myanmar (Burma) 500 – 1,000 Small Jain community among the Indian diaspora.
Nepal 2,000 – 5,000 Mainly in cities with Indian communities.
Sri Lanka 500 – 1,000 Small Jain community among the Indian diaspora.
Fiji 500 – 1,000 Historical Jain communities among the Indian diaspora.
New Zealand 500 – 1,000 Mainly in cities with Indian communities.
Saudi Arabia 1,000 – 2,000 Mainly in cities with Indian expatriates.
Qatar 1,000 – 2,000 Concentrations in areas with Indian communities.
Oman 500 – 1,000 Small Jain community among the Indian diaspora.
Kuwait 1,000 – 2,000 Mainly in cities with Indian expatriates.
Bahrain 500 – 1,000 Small Jain community among the Indian diaspora.
Japan 500 – 1,000 Mainly in cities with Indian communities.
South Korea 500 – 1,000 Concentrations in areas with Indian communities.

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ "Jains steal the show with 7 Padmas", The Times of India, 9 April 2015
  2. ↑ "Literacy race: Jains take the honours", The Times of India, 7 September 2004
  3. ↑ "Delhi and Punjab richest states, Jain wealthiest community: National survey". 13 January 2018.
  4. ↑ J. Gordon Melton & Martin Baumann 2010, p. 1555.
  5. ↑ Dundas 2002, p. 246.
  6. 1 2 Gregory, Robert G. (1993), Quest for equality: Asian politics in East Africa, 1900-1967, New Delhi: Orient Longman Limited, p. 26, ISBN 0-863-11-208-0
  7. ↑ Mehta, Makrand (2001). "Gujarati Business Communities in East African Diaspora: Major Historical Trends". Economic and Political Weekly. 36 (20): 1738–1747. JSTOR 4410637.
  8. ↑ Office of registrar general and census commissioner (2011), C-1 Population By Religious Community, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
  9. ↑ usadatahub.com (22 November 2023). "Jain Population by Country in 2024 - USA Data Hub". Retrieved 29 November 2023.

Sources

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