According to the Britannica: Its a religion and philosophy of India, founded in the 6th century BC by Vardhamana, who is known as Mahavira ("Great Hero")--the 24th of the Tirthankaras. Jinas on whose example the religion is centered protests against the orthodox Vedic (early Hindu) ritualistic cult . Earliest proponents probably belonged to a sect that rebelled against the idea and practice of taking life prevalent in the Vedic animal sacrifice.

Jainism, which does not espouse belief in a creator god, has as its ethical core the doctrine of ahimsa, or noninjury to all living creatures, and as its religious ideal the perfection of man's nature, to be achieved predominantly through the monastic and ascetic life.

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Absent Lord : Ascetics and Kings in a Jain Ritual Culture (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society ; 8) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Lawrence A. Babb / Paperback / Published 1996
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Absent Lord : Ascetics and Kings in a Jain Ritual Culture (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society, 8) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Lawrence A. Babb / Hardcover / Published 1996
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Gender and Salvation : Jaina Debates on the Spiritual Liberation of Women ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Padmanabh S. Jaini, Robert Goldman / Hardcover / Published 1991
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Open Boundaries : Jain Communities and Cultures in Indian History (Suny Series, Hindu Studies) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

John Cort(Editor) / Paperback / Published 1998
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Riches and Renunciation : Religion, Economy, and Society Among the Jains (Oxford Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology) ~ Usually ships in 2-3 days

James Laidlaw / Paperback / Published 1996
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Studies In Jainism: Primer ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Duli Chandra Jain / Textbook Binding / Published 1997
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Studies In Jainism: Reader 1 ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Duli C. Jain(Editor) / Textbook Binding
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Studies In Jainism: Reader 2 ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Duli C. Jain / Textbook Binding / Published 1997
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Venerated Teachers of the Jains, Sikhs and Parsis (Adepts in the Eastern Esoteric Tradition, Vol 5) ~ Usually ships in 2-3 days

Manly Palmer Hall / Paperback / Published 1999
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The Archetypal Actions of Ritual : A Theory of Ritual Illustrated by the Jain Rite of Worship (Oxford Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology)

Caroline Humphrey, James Laidlaw / Hardcover / Published 1994
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The Archetypal Actions of Ritual : A Theory of Ritual Illustrated by the Jain Rite of Worship (Oxford Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology)

Caroline Humphrey, James Laidlaw / Paperback / Published 1994
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An Epitome of Jainism

K.B. Jindal / Hardcover / Published 1988
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Essentials of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism

A.M. Dwivedi / Hardcover / Published 1979
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An Introduction to Jainism

Bharat S. Shah / Paperback / Published 1992
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Inviting Death : Indian Attitude Towards the Ritual Death (Monographs and Theoretical Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology in Honour of Nels)

S. Settar / Paperback / Published 1997
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Jaina Relgion and Art

Ananda Chandra Sahoo / Hardcover / Published 1994
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Jainism : The World of Conquerors

Natubhai Shah / Hardcover / Published 1998
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Jainism : The World of Conquerors

Natubhai Shah / Hardcover / Published 1998
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Jainism : The World of Conquerors

Natubhai Shah / Paperback / Published 1998
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Jainism and Prakrit in Ancient and Medieval India : Essays for Prof. Jagdish Chandra Jain

N.N. Bhattacharyya(Editor) / Hardcover / Published 1994
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Jainism in North India 800 B C-A d 526

Chimanlal J. Shah / Hardcover / Published 1990
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Jainism; Or the Early Faith of Asoka

Edward Thomas / Hardcover / Published 1995
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Medieval Jainism : Culture and Environment

Prem Suman Jain(Editor), Raj Mal Lodha (Editor) / Hardcover / Published 1990
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Open Boundaries : Jain Communities and Cultures in Indian History (Suny Series in Hindu Studies)

John Cort(Editor) / Hardcover / Published 1998
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Organizing Jainism in India and England (Oxford Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology)

Marcus Banks / Hardcover / Published 1992
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