Class 12 History Chapter 7 Bhakti – Sufi Traditions Solutions to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse through different chapters Assam Board HS 2nd Year History Chapter 7 Bhakti – Sufi Traditions Question Answer.
Class 12 History Chapter 7 Bhakti – Sufi Traditions
Also, you can read the AHSEC book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per AHSEC (CBSE) Book guidelines. These solutions are part of AHSEC All Subject Solutions. Here we have given Assam Board Class 12 History Chapter 7 Bhakti – Sufi Traditions Solutions for All Subjects, You can practice these here.
Bhakti – Sufi Traditions
Chapter – 7
PART – II
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Q.1. Briefly define the term Sufism.
Ans : Sufism is an English word coined in the nineteenth century. It refers to mysticism in Islam. Some historians define it as including in its category anyone who believes it possible to have direct experience of reality and God. It embraces all aspects of Islam which deal with direct communion with reality. Others advocate it relates to ascites who advocated a life of purity and renunciation.
Q.2. Give the names of the early bhakti movements and their place of origin.
Ans The early bhakti movements around sixth century AD were led by Alvars and Nayanars. These devotional cults developed in South India among the Tamil saints.
Q.3. Define the term Arabesque.
Ans : The term Arabesque refers to form of Turkish architecture whereby geometrical and floral designs are combined with panels of inscriptions containing verses of the Quran. This form was extensively used by the Turks to decorate walls of small tombs and mosques.
Q.4. Who was Ravidas?
Ans : Ravidas was a contemporary of Kabir, and a propagator of devotion to a formless God. He believed in rebirth and regarded Bhakti as the surest method of salvation.
Q.5. Give names of two Alvar devotional literature.
Ans : a) Nalayira Divyaprabandham or four thousand sacred compositions. It is an anthology containing compositions of 12 Alvars.
b) Tevaram, It is a collection that was compiled and classified in the 10th century on the basis of the music of the songs of Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar.
Q.6. When and where Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born? Name his parents also.
Ans : Guru Nanak Dev. Ji was born in the village Talwandi of Punjab in the year 1469. Now this place is in Pakistan. It is famous by the name of Nankana Sahib. Mehta Kalu Ram Ji was the father of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Tripta Devi Ji was the name of the mother of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Q.7. What are Kabir’s Ulatbansi compositions?
Ans : The Ulatbansi compositions of Kabir are intrinsically upside- down sayings. They are written in a form in which everyday meanings are inverted. They express difficulty in capturing the nature of the ultimate reality. They express Kabir’s mystical experiences.
Q.8. Write two rituals of initiation into ‘Silsila’.
Ans: There were special rituals of initiation into Silsila and these were:
a) One its to take on Oath of allegiance.
b) He should ‘wear a patched garment and shave his hair.
Q.9. What was the social structure of Alvar and Nayanar Saints?
Ans : The Alvar and Nayanar were saints of Southern India. Alvars believed in the worship of Lord Vishnu and Nayanars believed in the worship of Lord Shiva.
Q.10. Write a short note on ‘Nimbarkacharya’.
Ans : He was a devotee of Radha and Krishną and was the contemporary of Ramanuja. He popularised Dwitadait and in his opinion the way to attain Moksha was devotion to Lord Krishna.
B. Textual Questions & Answers :
Q.1. Explain with examples what historians mean by the integration of cults.
Ans : Many historians have tried to understand the integration of cults. They found that there were at least two processes at work. First of all, there was a process of disseminating Brahmanical ideas. For example, all the puranic texts were composed, compiled and preserved in simple Sanskrit verse. It was done so that they may be accessible to all women and the Shudras who were generally excluded from vedic learning. Secondly, the Brahmans accepted and reworked the beliefs and practices of these and other social categories.
They were engaged in a continuous dialogue between great sanskritic puranic traditions and little traditions throughout the land. For example, at Puri in Orissa, the principal deity of Vishnu was identified as Jagannatha which meant the lord of the world. The terms great and little traditions were coined by Robert Redfield, a sociologist of the 20th century. Such examples of integration can also be seen in the cults of Goddess. The Goddess was often worshipped in the form of a stone smeared with ochre. Thes local deities were usually incorporated within the puranic framework by providing them with an identify as a wife of the principal male deities. For example, Lakshmi is associated with Vishnu as his wife and Parvati with Shiva as his wife.
Q.2. To what extent do you think the architecture of mosques in the subcontinent reflects a combination of universal ideals and local traditions ?
Ans : The complex blend of universal ideals and local traditions is best exemplified in the architecture of mosques. Some of the architectural features of mosques are universal- such as orientation towards Mecca, evident in the placement of the mihrab (prayer niche) and minbar (pulpit) arches and done. The style of decoration used on these arches is very interesting. No human or animal figures are used since it was considered un-Islamic to do so. Instead they used scrolls of flowers and verses of the Quran which were intertwined in a very artistic manner. Influence of local traditions was reflected in the use of building materials, construction, and even motifs as the new rulers used local craftsmen such as stone cutters and masons. The floral designs borrowed Hindu motifs such as bell motif, the swastika and lotus. Also influence was evident in the construction of roofs, in the use of beam and lintel architectural devices used by Indians. Among the many mosques reflecting influence of indigenous traditions are :-
A mosque in Kerala dating the thirteenth century had a shikara like roof. The Atiya mosque in the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh was built with brick in 1609. The shah Hamadan mosque in Srinagar, on the banks of Jhelum is often regarded as jewel in the crown of all existing mosques of Kashmir. Built in 1395 it is one of the best examples of Kashmiri wooden architecture exemplified in the spire and beautifully carved eaves. Moreover, as per local traditions it is decorated with papier mache. In the early years to meet the requirements for places of worship, the rulers converted temples and other existing buildings into mosques. For example, Qawwal-ul-Islam mosque near Quttub Minar. It was a Jain temple, converted into temple dedicated to Vishnu. The only change the rulers undertook was construction of a facade of three elaborately carved arches in front of the deity room which was demolished.
Q.3. What were the similarities and differences between the be- shari’a and ba-shari’a sufi traditions?
Ans : Be-shari’a sufi traditions similarities were- They deliberately defined the sharia. They scorned the khanqah, took to mendicancy and observed celibacy. They ignored rituals and observed extreme forms of asceticism They were known by various names Qalandars, Malangs and Haidaris. The stressed on austerity and maintained a complete distance from worldly power. They had no association with the state.
Be-shari’a sufi traditions differences were- They followed the sharia faithfully. They were organised into 12 orders called silsilas. Each silsila was led by a pir who nominated a successor or wali to carry on his work. Practices like bowing before the shaikh, offering water to visitors, shaving the heads of initiates were followed which were also attempts to assimilate local traditions. They most well known sufis of this category belonged to the chishti and Suhrawardi silsilas. They were associated with the state and some such sufis even accepted courtly offices. Unsolicited grants and donations were also accepted from the political elites.
Q.4. Discuss the ways in which the Alvars, Nayanars and Virashaivas expressed critiques of the caste system.
Ans : The Alvars, Nayanars and Virashava were cults that developed in South India and each of them in their own way expressed critique of the caste system and Brahmanical d minance. Historians suggest Alvar and Nayanar movements were against caste forms as contrary to Brahmanical caste system and vedic religion. The bhaktas hailed from diverse social backgrounds, ranging from Brahmanas to artisans, cultivators and even from castes considered untouchables. Women who were regarded as equivalent to Shudras in caste hierarchy and denied access to vadic learning formed a substantial segment of followers.
Some like Andal a woman Alvar, and Karaikkal Ammaiyar a devotee of Shiva composed verses to express their love for the deity which are preserved within the traditions and widely sung to date. Contrary to Brahmanical caste obligations these women adopted a path of extreme asceticism. renounced their social obligations but did not join an alternative order The very presence of these women and compositions posed a challenge to patriarchal norms. The Alvars and Nayanars emphasised the importance of traditions by claiming that their compositions were as important as the four vedas in Sanskrit, cherished by Brahmanas. For example, the Nalayira Divya Prabandham was frequently described as Tamil Veda.
The Virashaiva movement led by Basavanna emerged in Karnataka in the 12th century. His followers were called Lingayats. Our understanding of the Virashaiva tradition is derived from Vachanas They challenged the idea of caste by :-
Questioning the idea of pollution attributed to certain groups by Brahmanas. By revering jangomas or wandering monks. Questioning the theory of rebirth. Lingayats/Virashaivas believed that on death the devotee will be united with Shiva and will not return to this world. They do not practise funerary rites such as cremation prescribed in the Dharmashastras. Instead ceremonially bury their dead. Among the followers they won the marginalised within the Brahmanical social order. They encouraged certain practices such as post puberty marriage and remarriage of widows disapproved in the Dharmashastras.
Q.5. Describe the major teachings of either Kabir or Baba Guru Nanak, and the ways in which these have been transmitted.
Ans : Kabir : Saint Kabir was the great preacher of Hindu-Muslim unity in India. He was the most famous of all Bhakti reformers. Prominent teaching of Saint Kabir are as under:-
God is one, he had not form. His statement is that one is the creator of Hindus and turks. God is everywhere. There is no sense in idol worship. Sanctity of heart is essential to attain him. For attaintment of God, Guru is very necessary. If God gets displeased. He can sought again with the help of the teacher. But if the tecaher is displeased, there is no support left. kabir did not accept the caste-distinction. He belived that none could be high or low on the score of caste. Kabir plainly refused to accept the superiority of brahmin caste. Kabir was opposed to customs and rituals.
He has opposed worship, raja-namaj, Pilgrimage and haj etc. Opposing the namaz of the Muslims, he has written. “Mosque was created by collecting pebbles and stones. Head priest ascending it gave a call of daws, it means God has become deaf” Similarly, he has condemned idol- worship by the Hindus. “If God can be sought by worshiping stones, I may worship mountain. Corn grinding appliance is better than that stone, which enables one to grind corn and eat it”. Kabir believed in the theory of Karma. He believed that one had to bear the fruit of his good or bad actions. In Kabir’s words. Don’t bother if your hut is in the neighbourhood of butchers. Don’t be sad, everyone will get return for his actions. Kabir believed in the unity of all religions. According to him, there is no distinction between Hindu-Muslim. The destination of both is the same only the paths are different.
kabir’s teaching were based on a complete, indeed vehement, rejection of the major religious traditions. His teachings openly ridiculed all forms of external worship of both Brahmanical Hindusim and Islam the pre-eminence of the priestly classes and the caste system. Kabir believed in a formless Supreme God and preached that the only to salvation was through bhakti or devotion. Kabir opposed caste- distinction, condemned had company, stressed upon meditation and love. He identified the teacher with God. He opposed the rituals of both the Hindus and the Muslims. Minimising animosity and opposition, the established unity. According to Dr. Tarachand, The aim of Kabir was to popularise the religion of love which would remove the differences in the name of religions and castes.
Dr. Bannerjee has, the refore, written correctly, Kabir was the first guide of the path of reform in medieval times who made creative for Hindu-Muslim unity in the sphere ofreligion. Kabir expressed his ideas through por try and bhajans. The language of his poetry was a form of spoken Hindi widely understood by ordinary people. He also sometimes used cryptic language, which is difficult to follow- We get to know of his ideas from a vast collection of verse called Sakhis and pads said to have been composed by him and sung by wondering bhajan singers. Some of these were later collected and preserved in the Guru Granth Sahib, Panch Vani and Bijak.
Guru Nanak : Baba Guru Nanak is also recognized a great tender by the Sikh and people of other religions also. His teachings were very simple, direct and effective. Guru Nanak said there is one god or Wai Guru. He is everywhere an any form. For baba Guru Nank the absolute or ‘rab’ no gender or form. Guru Nanak advocated a form of Nirgun Bhakti. He firmly repudiated the external practices of the religions he saw around him. Guru Nanak rejected sacrifice ritual baths, image worship, austerities and the scriptures of both Hindus and Muslims.
Guru Nanak Dev proposed a simple way to connect to Divine by remembering and repeating the Dive Name, expressing his idea through hymns called “Shabad” in punjabi, the language of the region. It appears that Baba Guru Nank did not wish to establish a new religions, but after his death his followers consolidated their own practices and distinguished themselves from both Hindus and Muslims. The message of Baba Guru Nank is spelt out in his hymns and teachings. These suggest that he advocated a form of nirguna bhakti. Baba Guru Nanak would sing these compositions in various ragas while his attendant Mardana played the rabab.
Baba Guru Nanak organised his followers into a community. He set up rules for congregational worship (sangat) involving collective recitation. He appointed one of his discipless Angad, to succeed him as the preceptor (guru), and this practice was followed for nearly 200 years. The fifth preceptor, guru Arjan, compiled Baba Guru Nanak’s hymns along with those of his four successors and other religious poets like Baba Farid Ravidas (also known as Raidas) and Kabir in the Adi Granth Sahib. These hymns, called “Gurbani”, are composed in various languages.
In the later seventeenth century the tenth preceptor, Guru Gobind Singh, included the compositions of the ninth guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, and this scripture was called the Guru Granth sahib. Guru Gobind Singh also laid the foundation of the Khalsa Panth (army of the pure) and defined its five symbols: uncut hair, a dagger, a pair of shorts, a comb and a steel bangal. Under him the community got consolidated as a socio religious and military force.
Write a Short Essay on the Following
Q.6. Discuss the major beliefs and practices that characterised Sufism.
Ans: Sufism was a reform movemnet within Islam and started as a reaction against the constant fights between the Shias and Sunnis, the two sects of the muslim community. They believed in one God, equality and brotherhood of all irrespective of any distinctions. They also believed that one could reach God through personal devotion and not through meaningless rituals. They were opposed to distinctions based on caste, creed or religion. They believed that all religions are but different paths for reaching the same god.
The sufis favoured religious toleration and were opposed to forcible conversion to Islam or persecutions in the name of religion. Sufi saints were organised into twelve orders called silsilas. Each silsila was generally led by a mystic called a pir who used to live with his followers known as murids. Every pir nominated a successor or wali to carry on his work. The word silsila literally means a chain, signifying a continuous link between a master and disciple stretching as far back to the prophet Mohammad. Through this channel spiritual power and blessings were given to the devotees. Those who wished to join the silsila had to perform certain rituals like taking an oath of allegiance, wearing a patched garment and shaving their hair, When the shaikh or pir died, his tomb (dargah) attracted a lot of followers.
This resulted in the practice of pilgrimage or Ziyarat to his grave particularly on his death anniversary. This was because the people believed that in death, the saints had greater power as they were now united with God. An essential part of the Ziyarat was the use of music and dance. This included mystical chants performed by qawwals. The sufis remember god by either reciting the Zikr or evoking his presence through sama (performance of mystical music). The sufi saints thus spread the spirit of tolerance, peace and harmony and played a major role in bridging the gap between the Hindus and Muslims. They mingled freely with people of the lower castes of both communities. Their dargahs became sacred shrines for members of both communities.
Q.7. Examine how and why rulers tried establish connections with the traditions of the Nayanars and the sufis.
Ans : Nayanar and Alwar saints had a lot of respect among Vellal peasants. So many rulers tried to get their support. For example, the chola kings got built magnificent temples to seek divine support. The stone and metal status or idols adorned these temples. They gave a concrete shape to the imagery of saint-poets who composed hymns in the language of the common people. The Chola rulers also started the singing of Shiva hymns in the Tamil language. They also took the responsibility of compiling a new book of bhakti songs. An inscription of 945 tells us that chola king parantaka I got built metalled statue of saint – poet Appa Sambandar and Sundarar in the Shiva Temple. These idols were shown to the people in a procession.
Sultan : The Sultans knew that most of his people belonged to Islam. So when the Turks established the Delhi Sultanate, they rejected the demand of Ulma to introduce Shariat. They did so to avoid any kind of opposition from their people who were mainly non- Muslims. So they took the help of Sufi Saints who considered their spiritual authority as the blessing of Allah. They were not dependent on the explanation of Shariat by Ulma. Some people believed that the Auliya could intercede with God in order to improve the material and spiritual conditions of the common people. That is why, the kings often wanted to have their tombs in the vicinity of the Sufi Shrines.
They used to visit the dargahs of Sufi saints. The king who first visited the dargah of Shaikh Muinuddin chishti at Ajmer was sultan Muhamad-bin-Tughlag (1324-51). However the first monument on the tomb of Shaikh was got built by king Giasuddin Khalji in the fifteenth century. As this dargah was on the road that linked Delhi with Gujarat, it was visited by many travellers.
Akbar : This dargah at Ajmer had become quite popular in the 16th century. The devotional hymns of those travellers who visited this dargah over the years inspired the Emperor Akbar to visit this shrine. Akbar came to this dargah fourteen times. Sometimes he visited this place twice or thrice new victory and sometimes he came to seek the fulfilment of his desires. He also visited this holy place on the birthday of his son. Akbar kept this tradition till 1580. He donated a lot on all such occasions. For example in 1568, he donated a big cauldron (degh) so that food may be prepared for all the pilgrims. He also got built a mosque in the compound of the dargah.
Q.8. Analyse with illustrations, why bhakti and sufi thinkers adopted a variety of languages in which to express their opinions.
Ans : Sanskrit was used by traditional Bhakti saint to sing hymns at different occasions, places of worship and ceremonies. The alvars and Nayanars of Tamil nadu travelled from place to place singing hymns in tamil in praise of their God. These developed as centres of pilgrimage. Singing compositions of these poet-saints became part of temple rituals in these shrines, as did worship of the saint images. The importance of the traditions of the Alvars and Nayanars was sometimes indicated by the claim that their compositions were as important the Vedas. For instance, one of the major anthologies of compositions by the Alvars, the Nalayira Divya Prabandham was frequently described as the tamil Veda.
Thus claiming that the text was as significant as the four Vedas in Sanskrit that were cherished by the Brahmanas. Kabir’s poems have survived in several languages and dialects and some are composed in the special language of nirguna poets, the sant bhasha.
Other, known as ulat bansi (upside down sayings), are written in a form in which everyday meanings are inverted. These hints at the difficulties of capturing the nature of the ultimate Reality in words expressions such as the lotus which blooms without flower or the “fire raging in the ocean” convey a sense of kabir’s mystical expressions. Baba Guru Nanak, Baba farid, Ravidas, composed their hymns in various languages such as punjabi and Hindi etc. Mirabai compose her Bhajans, devotional songs in Brij Bhasha or in Hindi.
Amir Khusrau wrote and sang in Hindi or persian, panjabi, urdu and some other from of languages. It was not just in same that the chishtis adopted local languages. In Delhi, those associated with the Chishti silsila conversed in Hinadavi, the language of the people. Other sufis such as Baba Farid composed verses in the local language, which were incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib. Other writers, thinkers saint etc. composed long poems or masnavis to express ideas of divine love using human love as an allegory. For example, the prem-akhyan (love story) padmavat composed by Malik Muhammad Jayasi revolved around the romance of padmini and Ratansen, the king of Chittor.
Their trails were symbolic of the soul’s journey to the divine. Such poetic compositions were often recited in hospices, usually during sama. A different genre of Sufi poetry was composed in and around the town of Bijapur, Karnataka. These were short poems in Dakhani (a variant of Urdu) attributed to chishti sufis who lived in this region during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These poems were probably sung by women while performing household chores like grinding grain and spinning. Other compositions were in the form of lurinama or lullabies and shadinama or wedding songs. It is likely that the Sufis of this region were inspired by the pre-existing bhakti tradition of the Kannada Vachanas of the Lingayats and the Marathi abhangs of the saints of pandharpur. It is through this medium that Islam gradully gained a place in the villlages of the Deccan.
Q.9. Read any five of the sources included in this chapter and discuss the social and religious ideas that are expressed in them.
Ans : The Chaturvedi Brahmans were well versed in four vedas. They did not keep a devotion of service towards Lord Vishnu. That’s why Lord Vishnu loved those servants who expressed their love for their feet. Servants or Dasas were not included in Varna system. Brahmanas used to pour milk on a serpent carved in stone. But if a real serpent came they tried to kill him. This thing was also evident in serving food. They used to offer dishes of food to the images of God which cannot eat but they clearly denied to give food to the servant of God who could eat. Mughal rulers, especially Akbar, used to respect all the religions and used to protect and patronage them. People of all the religions were allowed to construct their places of worship. Aurangzeb also used to help religious teachers of different sects.
Map Work
Q.10. On an outline map of India, plot three major sufi shrines, and three places associated with temples (one each of a form of Vishnu, Shiva and the Goddess)
Ans :
C. Passage Based Question & Answers:
Read carefully the following passage and answer the questions given after it.
REVERENCE FOR THE JOGI
Here is an excerpt from a letter written by Aurangzeb to a Jogi in 1661-62 :
The possessor of the sublime station, Shiv Murat, Guru Anand Nath Jio!
May your Reverence remain in peace and happiness ever under the protection of Sri Shiv Jio!
…. A piece of cloth for the cloak and a sum of twenty- five rupees which have been sent as an offering will reach (your Reverence) Your Reverence may write to us whenever there is any service which can be rendered by us.
Questions:
Q.1. Identify the deity worshipped by the Jogi.
Ans: The deity Shiv Murat is worshipped by the Guru Anand Nath Jogi.
Q.2. Who was Aurangzeb?
Ans: Aurangzeb was the last great Mughal emperor, who ruled from 1658 to 1707. After his death the other Mughal rulers are called the Later Mughals (from 1707-1857).
Q.3. Describe the attitude of the emperor towards the Jogi.
Ans: The emperor had shown very good, positive and helpful attitude towards the Jogi. First of all, he wishes him peace and happiness for ever, under the protection of his deity, Sri Shivji.
The emperor sends a piece of cloth for the clock and a sum of twenty- five rupees as an offering.
Aurangzeb also expresses his desire through the letter that the Jogi is free to write to the royal court whenever there was any service which could be rendered by the Mughals.
Hi, I’m Dev Kirtonia, Founder & CEO of Dev Library. A website that provides all SCERT, NCERT 3 to 12, and BA, B.com, B.Sc, and Computer Science with Post Graduate Notes & Suggestions, Novel, eBooks, Biography, Quotes, Study Materials, and more.
