Introduction

This chapter provides a broadbrush delineation of aspects of the linguistic, social and organisational background to the Tapa Gaccha in order to enhance appreciation of the various topics. The origins and early development of the Tapa Gaccha coincide with the thoroughgoing structural transformation of traditional polities and cultural production which can be held either to have presaged or in part actually constituted modernity in South Asia. While Tapa Gaccha intellectual discourse was generally couched in Sanskrit, and to a lesser extent Prakrit, the employment of vernacular was clearly necessary for an audience which may not have always been comfortable with the learned requirements of the older languages. The Tapa Gaccha today has the largest number of initiated renunciants of any image worshipping Jain order and includes Muni Jambuvijaya amongst its most distinguished members. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.