Here are some simple Jain timelines to give you a clear overview. If you’d like more detail on any item, I can expand that part.

• Cosmic time (Jain view)

- Time is cyclical and divided into two halves: Utsarpini (the rising, auspicious half) and Avsarpini (the descending, less auspicious half). - Each half-cycle contains multiple eras where virtue, lifespans, and spiritual progress vary. The present era is part of Avsarpini.

• Tirthankaras (chronology)

- Jain tradition teaches there have been 24 Tirthankaras (enlightened teachers) who established spiritual teaching across time. - The sequence starts with Rishabhanatha and ends with Mahavira (the 24th). The exact order and dating differ slightly between Digambar and Shwetambar traditions, but Mahavira is universally accepted as the last Tirthankar of this cycle. - Mahavira’s historical period is placed around the 6th–5th centuries BCE in most traditional timelines (note: Digambar and Shwetambar dates differ by a few decades).

• The life of Mahavira (historical timeline)

- Mahavira was born in a royal family, renounced after a period of ascetic practice, and attained kevala jnana (omniscience) at a specific age. - He preached for several decades before attaining moksha (liberation) at Pawapuri. - Traditional dates place his life roughly in the 6th century BCE, with some variation between Jain sects.

• Historical spread and schools (timeline of Jainism’s development)

- After Mahavira, Jain communities spread across northern and western India. - Over time, the Jain sanghas and commentarial literature developed in both Digambar and Shwetambar traditions, with notable differences in practices, texts, and calendar interpretations.

• Calendar and festivals (relative timeline)

- Jain communities observe key events in a lunar/martial calendar system, including Mahavira Jayanti (birth or enlightenment day) and Paryushana. - Dates for these events shift each year according to local lunar calendars, so they don’t align to a single fixed date.

• Religious literature timeline (development of texts)

- Early canonical teachings were transmitted orally and later written down. - Digambar and Shwetambar canons were compiled and commented on in different periods, leading to distinct canons and commentaries in each tradition.

If you’d like, I can tailor this into a more precise, tradition-specific timeline (Digambar vs. Shwetambar) and include approximate dates for Mahavira and the sequence of the 24 Tirthankaras.