Chaturtha

Chaturtha चतुर्थ is the biggest community (endogamous group) of Digambara Jains. According to the Digambar Jain Directory of 1914, at that time they outnumbered Agrawals and Khandelwals ^[1].

The name Chaturth derives from Kshatraru, the Kannad word for Sankrit Kshatriy.

Chaturthas are spread all over southern and western Maharashtra and northern Karnataka^[2].

Chaturths are bilinguals, originally Kannada speakers, but now speak both Kannada and Marathi at homes.^[3].

Maharashtra has the largest population of Jains of any single state in India ^[4].

Agriculture was traditionally the primary occupation among Chaturthas, but the increase in education has allowed them to branch out into fields such as teaching, medicine, business, industries, government and private services.

Some of them have been Kasar ^[5]

Bhattarka Jinasena of the Kolhapur math has traditionally served as the religious authority among the Chaturthas^[6].

Distinguished Chaturthas

• Dhulappa Bhaurao Navale Founder of Shetkari Sahakari Sakar Karkhana Sangli. He gave the name to Sangli sugar factory,as Shetkari. He was MLC from 1962 to 1971 from Satara & Sangli Dist.In 1937 Local Board elections he with his friends Gaurihar Sihasane & Sakharam Retharekar were congress candidates.All the three were elected from Satara Dist.against Kooper party supported by British.They had started the Congress party campaign from Ankalkhop-Audumber. Since then there is a tradition of Sangli Dist. Congress party to start its campaign from Audumber-Ankalkhop. He was the first individual Satyaghari of Mahatma Gandhi from Satara District (in which Sangli Dist. was also included).He made his satyagraha in Bhilawadi in 1940. He was arrested & was sent to Yerawada jail.He was very close friend of Late Yeshwantrao B.Chavan & Vasantrao(Dada)Banduji Patil. He made the historic (Preeti Sangam) union of his both friends Mr.Y.B.Chavan & Vasantdada Patil in his native village Ankalkhop on 24 May 1982.He was a great freedom fighter & was jailed twice by Britishers.He participated in Tasgaon Satyagraha,Bilashi satyagraha etc.He was a founder & was a prominent leader in several co-operative organizations & educational institutions in Sangli District.He died on 30 Sept.1988.
• Acharya Shantisagar
• Karmveer Bhaurao Patil Founder of Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, Asia's biggest educational institution.
• Acharya Deshbhushan
• Acharya Vidyasagar
• Raju Shetty Leader of cultivators, Member of Parliament elected in 2009
• Rajmati Birnale Freedom Fighter
• Appa Bhau Magdum Noted Marathi writer, poet, Publisher and social reformer
• Tatya Keshav ChopadeWriter
• Anna Bhau Magdum Mathematician and educationalist
• Bapusaheb Patil Industrialist
• Justice Bhalchandra Vagyani
• Dr. Bhuvanendra Kumar Scholar of Jainology
• Mahavir Sanglikar Activist, Thinker
• Harshit Abhiraj Musician, Singer, film maker

See also

• Jains in Maharashtra

References

1. ^ Digambar Jain Directory, 1914
2. ^ People of India. By Kumar Suresh Singh, B. V. Bhanu, Anthropological Survey of India. Published 2004. Page 435. ISBN 8179911004. http://books.google.com/books?id=DEAlCTxJowUC&pg=PA435&lpg=PA435&dq=chaturtha&source=web&ots=Bvny97vViV&sig=HSbqFEubU9tIRqDWP63E4UG-f7M Google books link
3. ^ Maharashtra Ka Jain Samaj. By Mahavir Sanglikar
4. ^ Sangave, Vilas. Aspects of Jainism. Delhi: Bharatiya Jnanapitha, 1997
5. ^ [1] The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions By Syed Siraj ul Hassan, Published 1989 Asian Educational Services
6. ^ Rajarshi Shahu Chhatrapati Papers, Ed. Appasaheb Ganapatrao Pawar, Kolhapur (Princely State), Published 1978 Shahu Research Institute