This book is a multi-faceted, thorough, and yet compact introduction to Jainism. It presents the history and scripture of Jainism, a religion that originated in ancient India and still exists today.

A work of primarily philological nature, giving a close look at the history and development of Jain scriptural traditions based out of the tradition of German Indology, this accessible introduction is available for the first time for an English-speaking audience. Readers will encounter an accessible, easy-to-read, and up-to-date overview of Jainism according to Svetambara tradition, with reference to the Digambara Transmission.

The author also offers anthropological, archaeological, and art-historical information from the field of Jain Studies. It will be of interest to students studying Religious Studies, Asian Religion and South Asian Studies and a wider public audience without in-depth previous knowledge of Jainism looking for a concise, yet innovative and insightful introduction.