The Rashtrakutas and their Times c20.s1.1

c20.s1.1

As stated already, Buddhism was losing ground rapidly in the Deccan of our period. The spread and popularity of Jainism may have been partly at its cost; tradition says that Akalanka, a Jain teacher of Sravan Belgol, defeated the Buddhists in c. 780 in a discussion held in the presence of king Hemaśitala of Kanchi and that the prince was converted to Jainism and the Buddhists were exiled to Candy.(160) The scene of victory is stated to be Kanchi but Akalanka belonged to the Jain establishment of Sravan Belgol, which was situated in the heart of Karnatak; the scholastic and missionary activities of the Jains of that centre may have proved detrimental to Buddhist interests in Karnatak and Maharashtra as well.