Artwork

Genealogical text, folio 167 (verso) from a Kalpa-sutra and Story of Kalakacharya

Genealogical text, folio 167 (verso) from a Kalpa-sutra and Story of Kalakacharya is an unspecified painting by the Mughal Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1278 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This folio, the verso of folio 167 from a Jain manuscript, contains a genealogical record of the donor’s lineage.

About this work

Overview

Such genealogies served to authenticate the donor’s social and religious standing, anchoring the sacred text in a specific historical and familial context.

This folio, the verso of folio 167 from a Jain manuscript, contains a genealogical record of the donor’s lineage. It follows a colophon on the recto that notes the manuscript’s creation date and location. The text is meticulously inscribed in black ink on a red ground, typical of western Indian Jain codices. Such genealogies served to authenticate the donor’s social and religious standing, anchoring the sacred text in a specific historical and familial context.

Subject & Meaning

The text traces the donor’s ancestry through the Shaurani branch of the Ukesa family, a prominent lineage in Gujarat. By recording names across generations, the manuscript affirms the donor’s legitimacy and piety, aligning their patronage with established religious authority. This was not mere decoration but a declaration of identity, embedding the spiritual act of manuscript production within a broader social and dynastic framework.

Technique & Style

The script is rendered in fine, uniform black ink on a rich red background, a hallmark of Gujarat’s Jain manuscript tradition. Letters are tightly spaced and precisely formed, reflecting the disciplined hand of trained scribes. The absence of illustration emphasizes textual authority; the genealogy’s power lies in its legibility and order, reinforcing the value placed on lineage and written record in Jain devotional culture.

History & Provenance

The manuscript was produced in Palanpur (Pahladanapura), a center of Jain learning and manuscript production in medieval Gujarat. The colophon on the recto and genealogy on the verso suggest it was completed in the late medieval period, likely between the 14th and 16th centuries. The genealogy may have continued on a subsequent folio, now lost, which was common in extended donor records of this type.

Context

In Jain manuscript culture, concluding a sacred text with a donor’s genealogy was a standard practice, akin to a formal attestation. These records linked religious merit to social status, ensuring that patronage was remembered and honored. Similar genealogies appear in other Jain texts from Gujarat, reflecting a regional tradition that valued lineage as both spiritual and civic capital.

Legacy

This folio contributes to a broader corpus of Jain donor records that help scholars reconstruct the social networks of medieval Gujarat. Its preservation allows modern researchers to trace family lineages, regional patronage patterns, and the interplay between religious devotion and aristocratic identity. Such texts remain vital sources for understanding the material and social history of Jain communities.