Merutunga

Merutunga, commonly known as Merutunga Suri, was a Śvetāmbara Jain monk and medieval Indian chronicler who is traditionally dated to the 14th century CE. He is best known for composing the Prabandha-Chintamani, an influential long chronicle that became a foundational text for later prabandha literature. Biographical details about Merutunga are sparse and debated among scholars, and his exact birthplace and dates are not firmly established.

The Prabandha-Chintamani provides a wide-ranging account of western Indian history, with a focus on Gujarat and the surrounding regions. The work blends historical narrative with legendary material, genealogies, court anecdotes, and religious episodes, including both Jain and Hindu figures. While it is valued as a major source for medieval Gujarat, the Solanki (Chaulukya) and related lineages, temple patronage, and cultural life, modern historians approach it as a composite text whose reliability varies by passage and context.

Manuscripts of Merutunga’s work exist in Sanskrit and in later Gujarati adaptations, and the Prabandha-Chintamani has influenced subsequent Jain historiography and regional historical writing. Scholars emphasize cross-checking its content with inscriptions and other contemporary sources due to its hagiographic tendencies and the stylized nature of prabandha literature, which often blends fact with legend.