<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> History of Jainism concerns a religion founded in Ancient India . Jains trace their history through twenty - four tirthankara and revere Rishabhanatha as the first tirthankara (in the present time - cycle). The last two tirthankara, the 23rd tirthankara Parshvanatha (c. 872--c. 772 BCE) and the 24th tirthankara Mahavira (c. 599--c. 527 BCE) are considered historical figures, though many historians date them both about a century later because the Mahavira is widely accepted as a contemporary of the Buddha, and significantly more historical evidence is available for the Buddha . According to Jain texts, the 22nd Tirthankara Arshth - nemi lived about 85,000 years ago and was the cousin of Hindu god Krishna . Jains consider their religion to be eternal . </P> <P> The two main sects of Jainism, the Digambara and the Śvētāmbara sect, likely started forming about the 3rd century BCE and the schism was complete by about 5th century CE . These sects later subdivided into several sub-sects such as Sthānakavāsī and Terapanthis . Jainism co-existed with Buddhism and Hinduism in ancient and medieval India . Many of its historic temples were built near the Buddhist and Hindu temples in 1st millennium CE . After the 12th - century, the temples, pilgrimage and naked ascetic tradition of Jainism suffered persecution during the Muslim rule, with the exception of Akbar whose religious tolerance and support for Jainism led to a temporary ban on animal killing during the Jain religious festival of Paryusan . </P>

Name of the 23rd tirthankar of jainisms in india