THEME 6
BHAKTI-SUFI TRADITIONS
CHANGES IN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND
DEVOTIONAL TEXTS
(C.EIGHTH TO EIGHTEENTH CENTURY)
v Introduction
Ø This
chapter deals with the religious beliefs which occurred during 8th
to 18th century. Historian used many sources to know the changes of
religious traditions.
v TEXTUAL
RECORD
Ø The
Compositions attributed to poet saints. These were compiled by disciples or
devotees generally after the death of saints.
Ø Hagiographies
or biographies of saints written by their followers.
Ø The
sculptures of many saints and the devotions by the many kingdoms also provide
the sources to know about the famous saints.
v CHALLENGES
TO USE THESE SOURCES-
Ø The
generations of devotees tended to elaborate on the original message.
Ø They
occasionally modified or even abandoned some of the ideas that appeared problematic
or irrelevant in different political , social and cultural context.
Ø Hagiographies
or biographies of saints may not be literally accurate.
v A
MOSAIC OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRCTICES
Ø During this period, a
large number of gods and goddesses in sculpture as well as in texts appeared.
Ø This
indicated the continued and extended worship of the major deities such as
Vishnu, Shiva and the goddesses, visualized in a variety of forms. Integration
of cults and great and little traditions, disseminating Brahmanical ideas.
v THE
INTEGRATION OF CULTS
Ø Historians
who have tried to understand these developments suggest that there were at
least two processes at work.
Ø One
was a process of disseminating Brahmanical ideas. This was exemplified by the
composition, compilation and preservation of Puranic texts in simple Sanskrit
verse .They were meant to be accessible to women and Shudras who were excluded
from Vedic learning.
 |
(Jagannatha (extreme right) with his sister Subhadra (centre) and his brother Balarama (left) |
Ø There
was a second process at work that of the Brahmanas accepting and reworking the
beliefs and practices of other social categories also. This was known as great
and little traditions.(by sociologist –Robert Redfield)
Ø Through
an example we can say that a local deity, in Puri (Odisha) whose image was and continues to be made of
wood by local tribal (little tradition) specialists, was recognized as a form
of Vishnu. These local deities were often incorporated within the puranic frame
work by providing them with an identity as a wife of the principal male
deities-sometimes they were equated with Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu.(Great
Traditions)
v TANTRIC
WORSHIP
Ø The
forms of worship often associated with goddess were classified as Tantric.
Ø Tantric
worship was wide spread in the subcontinent. It was open to women and men.
Ø Those
who followed Tantric rejected the caste and class within the ritual context.
Ø Many
of these ideas influenced Shaivism and the Buddhism, especially in eastern,
northern and southern part of this sub-continent.
v CONFLICTS
THAT AROSE DURING THIS TIME
Ø During
this time the principles deities are Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva which have very
little reference in puranic traditions.
Ø The
principles deities of Vedic pantheon Agni, Indra and Soma become marginal
figures.
Ø However
in spite of these discrepancies the Vedas continued to be revered as
authoritative.
Ø There
were conflicts between those who followed the Vedic tradition and those who
practiced the Tantric way of worshipping deities.
Ø Those
who valued Vedic tradition often condemned the practices that went beyond the
performance of sacrifices and chanting of mantras.
Ø On
the other hand those who engaged in Tantric practices ignored the authority of
the Vedas.
Ø The
devotees often tended to project their deity either Vishnu or shiva but the
relation with other tradition like jais or Buddhism were often fraught with
tension
v EARLY
BHAKTI TRADITIONS
Saguna (with attributes)
|
Nirguna (without attributes).
|
Ø Saguna
included the bhakti traditions that
focused on the worship of specific deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his
avatars (incarnations) and forms of the goddess or Devi.
Ø Examples
–Alwar, Nayanars, Virashaiva
|
Ø
Nirguna bhakti on the other hand was worship of an
abstract form of god.
Ø
Examples- Kabir Panthi, Sufi Saint, Yogi,
Nathpanthi, Madari,Kanlandar
|
v THE
ALVARS AND NAYANARS OF TAMIL NADU
Ø During
the sixth century, some of the Bhakti movements in south India were led by the
Alvars and the Nayanars.
Ø The
literal meaning of the Alvars is those who are immersed in devotion to Vishnu.
Ø The
meaning of the word Nayanars is those who were devotees of Shiva.
Ø They
travelled from place to place singing hymns in Tamil in praise of their gods.
Ø During
their travels the Alvars and Nayanars identified certain shrines as abodes of
their chosen deities.
Ø Later
big temples were built at those places and developed as pilgrimage centre’s.
Ø According
to some historians, the Alvars and the Nayanars started a movement of protest
against the caste system and the Brahmanas and attempted to reform the system.
Ø The
devotees came from the different social backgrounds such as artisans,
cultivators and even from the caste that were considered “untouchable”
Ø The
saint –poets the Alvars and the Nayanars were opposed to Buddhism and Jainism.
Ø This
hostility is well marked in their compositions particularly of the Nayanars.
v DIFFERENCE
IN ALVARS AND NAYANARS
BASE
|
ALWARS
|
NAYANARS
|
Devotees
|
Vishnu
|
Shiva
|
No
of saints
|
12
|
63
|
Compositions
|
Nalayira
Divyaprabbandham(Tamil Veda)
|
Tevaram
|
Saints
|
Tondaradippodi
|
Appar,
Sambandars, Sundarar
|
Female
saints
|
Andal,
|
Karaikkal
Ammaiyar
|
v RELATION
WITH THE STATE
Ø From
the 2nd half of the first millennium
Buddhism and Jainism was supported byPallavas and pandays.
Ø In
theis new Bhakti tradition saints opposed the Jainism and Buddhism
Ø The
Chola rulers supported the bhakti traditions and built temples for Shiva and
Vishnu.
Ø Some
of the magnificent temples for Shiva such as temples in Chidambaram, Thanjavur
and Gangaikondacholpuram were constructed under their patronage.
Ø The
Chola rulers built temples often to claim divine support and proclaim their own
power and status and adorned those temples with stone and metal sculpture to
represent the visions of the popular saints.
Ø They
made the spectacular representations of Shiva in bronze sculpture.
Ø The
Chola kings introduced the singing of Tamil Shaiva hymns under royal patronage,
taking the initiative to collect and organize them into a text (Tevaram).
Ø According
to Inscriptional evidence, the Chola king Parantaka I had constructed the metal
images of Appar,Sambandar and Sundarar in a Shiva temple.
Ø These
were carried in procession during the festivals of these saints.
v THE
VIRASHAIVA TRADITION IN KARNATAKA
Ø During
the twelfth century, In Karnataka the Virashaiva movement was started by a
Brahmana named Basavanna (1106-68).
Ø He
was a Jaina and a minister in the court of a Chalukya king.
Ø His
followers were known as Virashaivas(heroes of Shiva) or Lingayats(wearers of
the linga)
v LINGAYATS
AND THEIR BELIEF
Ø Lingayats
are an important community even today. They worship Shiva in the form of linga.
Ø They
wear a small linga in a silver case over the left shoulder.
Ø Jangama
or wandering monks are revered.
Ø Lingayats
believe that after death, the devotee will be united with Shiva and will not
return to this world.
Ø Therefore,
they do not practice funerary rites such as cremation as prescribed in the
Dharmashastras. Instead, they ceremonially bury their dead body.
v CHALLENGE
TO THE CASTE SYSTEM
Ø The
Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and the “pollution” attributed to some
groups by Brahmanas.
Ø They
also questioned the theory of rebirth.
Ø So
that a number of followers who were marginalized within the Brahmanical social
order also attracted to this bhakti tradition.
Ø The
Lingayats also practiced certain approvals that were rejected by the
Dharmashastras such as post-puberty marriage and the remarriage of wodows.
Ø Our
knowledge about the Virashaiva tradition is came from vachanas
(literally,sayings)composed in kannada by those who joined the movement.
v RELIGIOUS
FERMENT IN NORTH INDIA
Ø Like
in south India, in this time Bhakti movement also spread in north India. Though historian did not found
any compositions in north India till 14 century.
Ø According
to historians, in north India in this period several Rajput states emerged and
in most of these states Brahmanas occupied important place by performing
rituals. So there was no attempt to question their position directly.
Ø At
the same time there were other religious leaders who were out of the orthodox
Brahmanical systems, and were gaining ground.
Ø These
included the Naths,Jogis and Siddhas. Many of them came from artisanal groups
such as weavers who were well organized. They become powerful due to increasing
urban centers and long distance trade.
Ø These
religious leaders questioned the authority of the Vedas and expressed them in
local language. In spite of their popularity, they were unable to win the
support of the ruling elites.
Ø Turkish
conquest culminated in the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate.
Ø The
power of many Rajput rulers was thus undermined and also of the Brahmanas who
were associated with those kingdoms.
Ø The
coming of the Sufis was a significant part of these developments.
v NEW
STRANDS IN THE FABRIC- ISLAMIC TRADITION
Ø Indian
subcontinent was connected with the central Asia by land routs so after 11th
century many Arab merchants, trades and invader started to enter in the north
west part of India.
v FAITH
OF RULERS AND THEIR SUBJECTS
Ø In
711 AD an Arab General, Muhammed bin qasim conquered Sind and make it as a part
of the caliph’s domain. Later, during the thirteenth century the Turks and
Afghans established the Delhi Sultanate.
Ø Sultanates
were also formed in the Deccan and other parts of the subcontinent. Islam was
recognized as the religion of several areas. This continued with the
establishment of the Mughal Empire.
Ø Muslim
rulers were to be guided by the Ulama, which were expected to ensure
that they ruled according to the Sahri’a.
Ulma-The scholars
of Islamic studies, who perform various religious, juridical and teaching
functions to preserve the Islamic traditions.
|
Shari’a
–the
lawa which govern the muslim community.It includes
Quran-Holy
book
Hadis-Traditions
of prophet
Qiyas-Reasoning
by analogy
Ijma-Consensus
of the community.
|
Ø The
category of zimmi was developed.The Zimmi means “protected” and is derived from
the Arabic word zimma, protection. It was developed for peoples who followed
revealed scriptures, such as the Jews and Christians, and lived under muslim rule.
They paid a tax called jizya and received protection from muslims. In
India this status was extended to Hindus as well.
Ø In
general, rulers often adopted a flexible policy towards their subjects.
Ø For
example, several rulers gave land endowments and granted tax exemptions to
Hindu, Jaina, Zoroastrian, Christian and Jewish religious institutions. They
also showed respect and devotion towards non-Muslim religious
v THE
POPULAR PRACTICE OF ISLAM
Ø All
those who adopted Islam have the similarity in their practice. They follow the
five pillars of the faith
Ø The
five pillars of faith in Islam
§ There
is one God, Allah, and Prophet Muhammad is his messenger (shahada)
§ Offering
prayers five times a day (namaz/salat)
§ Giving
alms (zakat)
§ Fasting
during the month of Ramzan (sawam)
§ Performing
the pilgrimage to Mecca(hajj)
Ø However
in spite of this similarity there were so many diversities occurred in their
tradition due to sectarian affiliations and local customary practices.
§ Muslim
communities were divided into two main sects –shi’a (Believe that Ali will be successor of prophet) and
sunni (Believe that Abu Bakr will be).
§ There
were many branches of shi’a and sunni in this sub continent like Khojahs
ismailis,
§ Khojah,
a branch of Isamailis (Shia sect) adopted the indigenous literary geners to disseminating
the ideas of Quran.
§ They
used devotional poem in Punjabi, Multani, Sindhi,Kachchi,Hindi, Gujarati known
as –Ginan (Knowledge) in special ragas during daily prayers.
§ Arab
muslim traders who settled in Malabar coast(Kerala) not only adopted the local
language Malayalam but local customes as matriliny and matrilocal residence.
§ The
complex of a universal faith with local traditions also found in architecture
of mosques.
§ Some
architectural features of mosques are universal such as face toward Mecca and
the placement of the mihrab (prayer niche) and the minbar (pulpit).
§ However
there were variations found in roof or building materials
¨ Shah
Hamdan Mosque of Srinagar built by kashmiri wooden(Jewel in the crown)
¨ Atiya
mosques , Bangladesh built with bricks
¨ Mosque
in Kerala Shikhara like roof
v NAME
OF COMMUNITIES
Ø Today
we often use the term Hindu or Muslim for these communities but the historian
find out from inscriptions and Sanskrit text that this term was not used for
these people till 14 century.
Ø Instead
these term people were identifies by their region as Turkish for Turushka,
Tajika for Tajikistan or Parshika for Persia.
Ø Sometime
Turks or Aghan were referred as Shakas
and Yavans(Greeks)
Ø A
term Mlechchha also used for these migrants which means they did not follow the
norms of caste system and spoke different language instead of Sanskrit.
Ø Hindu
term was not used for the religion as we saw that it was used for the people
who live near the river Sind.
v THE
GROWTH OF SUFISM
Ø The
groups of religious minded people were called as Sufis in Islam. It is an
English word. The word used for Sufism in Islam is Tasawwuf.
Ø The
term sufi were defined by many ways by historians-
§ It
is derived from suf meaning wool, refer the course woolen clothes worn by sufis
§ Some
told that it is derived from safa mens purity
§ It
may also derived from suffa , the platform outside the prophet mosques, where
followers assembled to learn about faith.
Ø They
were critical of the dogmatic definitions and scholastic methods of
interpreting the Quran.
Ø They
emphasized on seeking salvation through intense devotion and love for God by
following his command.
Ø They
emphasized interpretation of Quran on the basis of personal experience.
v KHANQAHS
Ø Khanqahs
or hospices were the religious places where sufi saints teach their followers
and held the practices. The control of Khanqahs
was under a pir ,saikh or
murshid. He performed various duties as-
Ø Duties
of Pir or Saikh or Murshid
§ He
enrolled his disciples (murids) and appointed a successor (Khalifa)
§ He
established rules for spiritual conduct and interaction between persons and the
master.
v SILSILAS
Ø Silsila
literally meaning a chain signifies a continuous link between master and
disciple, stretching as an unbroken spiritual genealogy to the Prophet Muhammad.
Ø Through
this channel the spiritual power and blessing transmitted to devotees.
Ø Sufi
silsilas began to appear in different parts of the Islamic world around the
twelfth century.
v DARGAH
Ø Dargah
is a Persian term. Its meaning is tomb-shrine. When the sheikh died, his tomb
shrine became the center of devotion for his followers.
Ø This encouraged the practice of pilgrimage or
ziyarat to his grave, particularly on his death anniversary.or urs
Ø It
was believed that, after death the soul of sheikh get united with the soul of
Allah.
Ø People
sought their blessings to attain material and spiritual benefits. Thus evolved
the cult of the sheikh revered as wali.
v BA-SHARIA
AND BE-SHARIA SUFIS
BA-SHARIA
|
BE-SHARIA
|
1.Ba sharia were those Sufis who adhere with the Shariat
|
1.Be-sharia
Sufis were those who ignored shariat
|
2. They
organized themselves around Khanqahs.
|
2.They boycott
the khanqahs and took mendicancy and observed celibacy
|
3.They were called as saikh or wali.
|
3. They were
known by different names-Qaladars, Madaris, Malangs, Haidaris etc.
|
v NAMES
OF SILSILAS-
SR
NO
|
NAMES
OF SILSILA
|
FOUNDER
|
1
|
QADIRI
|
Saikh
abdul qadir jilani
|
2
|
Chisti
|
On
the name of place , which is in central Afghanistan
|
3
|
Nakshbandi
|
Founder Bahauddin naqshband Bukhari
|
4
|
Suharwardiyya
|
Diya al din abunajib as suhrawardi
|
v THE
CHISHTIS SILSILA IN THE SUBCONTINENT
Ø Chishtis
were the most influential group among the silsila in India.
v Life
in the Chishti khanqah
Ø The
khanqah was the centre of social life. It comprised several small rooms and a
big hall where inmates and visitors lived and prayed.
Ø The
Shaikh lived in a small room on the roof of the hall where he met visitors in
the morning and evening.
Ø There
was an open kitchen (langar).From morning till evening people from all walks of
life, came to seek the blessings from the Shaikh in various matters.
Ø Other
visitors included poets such as Amir Hasan Sijzi and Amir Khusru and the court
historian Ziyauddin Barani and all of them wrote about the Shaikh.
Ø Different
practices were adopted by the Chishtis in their kanqah as
§ Bowing
before the Shaikh
§ Offering
water to visitors
§ Shaving
the heads of initiates
§ Yogic
exercises
Ø Major
Teachers of the Chisti Silsila
Sr
no
|
Sufi
Teacher
|
year
of birth
|
LOCATION
|
|
1
|
Shaikh
Muinuddin Sijzi
|
1235
|
Ajmer
(Rajasthan)
|
|
2
|
Khwaja
Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
|
1235
|
Delhi
|
|
3
|
Saikh
Fariduddin Ganj I Shakr
|
1265
|
Ajodhan(Pakistan)
|
|
4
|
Shaikh
Nizamuddin Auliya
|
1325
|
Delhi
|
|
5
|
Shaikh
Nasiruddin Chiragh-I
|
1356
|
Delhi
|
|
Ø Most
famous sufi teacher in India ,Shaikh Nizamuddin appointed his disciple to set
up hospices in various parts of the sub continent. In this way they came in
touch with the people which led to the popularization of chishti practices,
teachings and also the fame of Shaikh.
v CHISHTI
DEVOTIONALISM: ZIYARAT AND QAWWALI
Ø Pilgrimage
on the tombs of Sufi saints is called as Ziyarat in all over the Muslim world.
This practice is an occasion for seeking the Sufi’s spiritual grace (barakat).
Ø For
more than seven centuries people from different walks of life expressed their
devotion at the dargahs of the five great Chishti saints.
Ø The
use of music and dance including mystical chants performed by specially trained
musicians or qawwals to evoke divine ecstasy is also part of ziyarat.
Ø The
Sufis remember God either by reciting the zikr(the Divine Names)or evoking His
presence through sama or performance of mystical music known as qawwali.
v DARGAH
OF KHWAJA MUINUDDIN
Ø The
most popular dargah in India was of Khwaja Muinuddin, popularly known as
“Gharib Nawaz” (comforter of the poor).The dargah became so popular because of
the following reasons.
Ø The
austerity and piety of the Shaik, greatness of his spiritual successors and the
patronage of royal visitors.
Ø Location
of Ajmer was another factor for its popularity. As it was located on the trade
route connecting Delhi and Gujarat, it attracted number of travellers.
Ø Muhammad
bin Tughlaq was the first Sultan to visit this dargah. And the construction of
tomb was funded by Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji of Malwa.
Ø Akbar,
the Mughal emperor visited dargah at Ajmer fourteen times in his life and these
visits were aimed at seeking blessings for new conquests, fulfilling his of
vows and to get sons.
Ø Many
of his wishes were soon fulfilled and thus as an offering:
§ He gave generous gifts on each visit.
§ He offered a huge cauldron to facilitate
cooking for pilgrims.
§ He even got a mosque constructed within the
dargah
v LANGUAGES
AND COMMUNICATION
Ø By
the various local languages sufi tradition become popular in different region.
They also influenced by the various Bhakti tradition.
Ø The
Chishtis composed their poems in several languages. The Chishtis used Hindavi
or Persian language.
Ø Some
Sufis such as Baba Farid composed poetry in local language. Some Sufis composed
long poems or masnavis to express ideas of divine love using human love as an
allegory. For example-Padmavat composed by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, the romance
of Padmini and Ratensen, king of Chittor.
Ø Sufi
poetry was composed in the Dakhani language around the Bijapur and Karnataka
region. Women while performing household chores like grinding grain and
spinning sang these poems.
Ø Other
poems were in the form of lurinama(lullabies) or wedding songs(shadinama).The
Sufis of this region were inspired by the kannada vachanas of the Lingayats and
the Marathi abhangs of the sants of Pandharpur.
Ø By
this medium Islam gradually gained a place in the village of the Deccan.
v SUFIS
AND THE STATE
Ø The
chishtis tradition was austere, maintaining a distance from worldly power but
it did not isolate political power.
§ The
Sufis accepted unsolicited grants and donations from the political elites. The
sultans set up charitable trusts (auqaf) as endowments for hospices and granted
tax-free land (inam).
§ The
chishtis accepted donations in cash and kind and used for their immediate
requirements such as food, clothes, living quarters and ritual necessities such
as sama. The moral high status of the Sufis attracted people from all walks of
life.
Ø The
kings wished to secure their support by paying respect to the sufis as
§ Kings
simply did not need to show their association with Sufis and also required
legitimating for them.
§ When
the Turks set up the Delhi Sultanate, Sufis resisted the insistence of the
ulama on imposing shari’a as state law because they anticipated opposition from
their subjects.
§ The
sultans also came to depend on the sufis to interpret the Sahri’a.It was
believed that Auliya could intercede with god to improve the material and
spiritual conditions of the people. As a result, kings got the shrines of the
Sufis near built near their tombs.
Ø However
there were instances of conflict between the Sultans and the sufis.
§ To
assert their authority both expected certain rituals performed such as
prostration and kissing of the feet etc.
§ Sufi
saikh was addressed with high sounding titles. For example Nizamuddin Auliya
addressed as Sultan-ul-mashaikh by their disciples.
v NEW
DEVOTIONAL PATHS: DIALOGUE AND DISSENT IN NORTH INDIA
Ø During
the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, many important figures become popular-
§ Kabir
das
§ Guru
Nanak Dev
§ Mira
Bai
v ABOUT
KABIR DAS
Ø We
know very little about the life of Kabir Das. It was belived that he was born
in Hindu family and brought up bu Muslim Julha family. Their compositions were
compiled by their followers after his death.
Ø Hagiographies
within the Vaishnava tradition suggest that he was initiated into bhakti by a
guru, Ramananda. The poems of Kabir used words guru and satguru but do not
mention the name of any specific guru.Historians pointed out that it is very
difficult to establish that Ramananda and Kabir were contemporaries.
Ø Composition
of Kabir Das
§ The
Kabir Bijak is preserved by the Kabirpanth (the path or sect of Kabir) in
Varanasi and in Uttar Pradesh.
§ The
Kabir Granthavali is associated with the Dadupanth in Rajasthan and many of his
compositions are found in the Adi Granth Sahib.
§ Kabir’s
poems have survived in several languages and dialects and sometimes with
special language of nirguna poets (the sant bhasha) and others known as
ulatbansi (upside-down sayings)
Ø Teachings
of Kabir
§ Kabir
tried to describe the Ultimate Reality including Islam. According to him the
Ultimate Reality was Allah, Khuda, Hazrat and Pir. He also used certain Vedic
terms such as Brahman and Atman.
§ He
also used some yogic traditional terms such as shabda (sound) or shunya (emptiness).Some
poems of Kabir expressed conflicting and diverse ideas.
§ Some
poems attacked Hindu polytheism and idol worship and others use sufi concept of
zikr and ishq(love) to express the Hindu practice of nam-simaran (remembrance
of God’s name).
§ Historians
have tried to analyse the language, style and content of these poems. Debates
about whether Kabir was a Hindu or a Muslim by birth are well reflected in
hagiographies.
v BABA
GURU NANAK
Ø Baba
Guru Nanak was born in a village called Nankana Sahib near Ravi in Punjab in
1469.
Ø He
trained to be an accountant and studied Persian.He was married at a young age
but he spent most of his time among sufis and bhaktas.He also travelled widely.
v Teachings
of Guru Nanak
Ø His
teachings are well reflected in his hymns. These hymns suggest that he
advocated a form of nirguna bhakti.He rejected sacrifices, ritual baths, image
worship and the scriptures of Hindus and Muslims.
Ø According
to him, the Absolute or ‘rab’ had no gender or form. He proposed a simple way
to connect to the Divine by remembering the Divine Name.
Ø He expressed his ideas through hymns called
“shabad” in Punjabi, the language of the region and sang with different ragas.
Ø He organized his followers into a community.
He set up rules for congregational worship (sangat).He appointed one of his
disciples, Angad, to succeed him as the preceptor (guru).Guru Nanak did not
want to establish a new religion.
Ø After his death, his followers consolidated
their own practices to form a distinct community.
Ø The
fifth guru, Guru Arjun compiled Guru Nanak”s hymns along with those of his four
successors and other religious poets like Baba Farid, Ravidas and Kabir in the
Adi Granth Sahib. These hymns called “gurbani” are composed in various
languages.
Ø The
tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, included the compositions of the ninth guru;
Guru Tegh Bahadur.This scripture was called the Guru Grantha Sahib. Guru Gobind
Singh also laid the foundation of the Khalsa Panth (army of the pure).He also
defined its five symbols:
·
Uncut hair,
·
A dagger,
·
A pair of shorts,
·
A comb and
·
A steel bangle.
Ø It
was under the leadership of Guru Gobind Singh that the community became a
socio-religious and military force.
v MIRABAI,
THE DEVOTEE PRINCESS
Ø Mirabai
was the best known woman poet within the bhakti tradition.
Ø She
was a Rajput princess from Merta in Marwar.
Ø She
was married to a prince of the Sisodia clan of Mewar against he wishes. She
defied her husband and not submit to the traditional role of wife and mother.
Ø She
recognized Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu as her lover. Her in-laws tried to
poison her, but she escaped and lived as wandering singer composing songs with
intense expressions of emotion.
v Teachings
of Meera bai
Ø Her
most famous preceptor was Raidas; a leather worker. It shows her defiance of
the norms of caste society.
Ø She
had donned the white robes of a window or the saffron robe of the
renouncer.Although she did not attract a sect or group of followers, she has
been recognized as a source of inspiration for centuries.
Ø We get information about her from the bhajans
attributed to her.
v SHANKARADEV
Ø In
the late fifteenth century, Shankaradeva emerged as one of the leading
proponents of Vaishnavism in Assam.
Ø His teachings, often known as the Bhagavati
dharma because they were based on the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana,
Ø He
emphasised the need for naam kirtan, recitation of the names of the lord in sat
sanga or congregations of pious devotees.
Ø He
also encouraged the establishment of satra or monasteries for the transmission of
spiritual knowledge, and naam ghar or prayer halls.
Ø Many
of these institutions and practices continue to flourish in the region. His
major compositions include the Kirtana-ghosha.
v RECONSTRUCTING
HISTORIES OF RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
Ø Historians
used a variety of sources to reconstruct histories of religious traditions.
These include stupas, monasteries, and temples.
Ø Historians
also draw on textual sources including devotional literature and hagiographies.
These sources enable historians to understand certain religious beliefs and
practices.
Ø They range from the simple direct language of
the vachanas of Basavanna to the ornate language of the farman of the Mughal
emperors.
Ø Understanding each type of text requires
different skills. Historians have to acquire familiarity with several languages
and to be aware of the subtle variations in style that characterize each type.
v Major
religious teachers
c. 500-800
|
Appar,
Sambandar, Sundaramurti
|
Tamil
Nadu
|
|
c.
800-900
|
Nammalvar,
Manikkavachakar, Andal, Tondaradippodi
|
Tamil
Nadu
|
|
c.1000-1100
|
Al Hujwiri,
Data Ganj Bakhsh
|
Punjab
|
|
Ramanujacharya
|
Tamil
Nadu
|
||
c.1100-1200
|
Basavanna
|
Karnataka
|
|
c.1200-1300
|
Jnanadeva,
Muktabai
|
Maharashtra;
|
|
Khwaja Muinuddin
Chishti
|
Rajasthan
|
||
Bahauddin Zakariyya and Fariduddin Ganj-I shakar
|
Punjab
|
||
Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar
Kaki
|
Delhi
|
||
c.1300-1400
|
Lal ded
|
Kashmir
|
|
Lal Shahbaz
Qalandar in
|
Sind
|
||
Nizamuddin
Auliya
|
Delhi
|
||
Ramananda
|
Uttar
Pradesh
|
||
Chokhamela
|
Maharashtra
|
||
Sharafuddin
Yahya Maneri
|
Bihar
|
||
1400-1500
|
Kabir, Raidas,
Surdas, Baba Guru Nanak
|
in
Uttar Pradesh;
|
|
Vallabhacharya
in Gujarat; Abdullah Shattari in Gwalior
|
Punjab
|
||
Muhammad Shah
Alam
|
Gujarat;
|
||
Mir Sayyid
Muhammad Gesu Daraz
|
Gulbarga,
|
||
Tukaram
|
Maharashtra
|
||
Shankaradeva
|
Assam;
|
||
1500-1600
|
Sri Chaitanya
|
Bengal;
|
|
Shaikh Abdul Quddus in
|
Gangohi,
|
||
Malik
Muhammad Jaisi, Tulsidas
|
Uttar
Pradesh
|
||
Mirabai
|
Rajasthan
|
||
1600-1700
|
Shaikh
Ahmad Sirhindi
|
Haryana
|
|
Miyan
Mir
|
Punjab
|
