CBSE Class 12 History Bhakti Sufi Traditions Changes in Religious Beliefs Assignment

Key concepts in nutshell
♦ From 8th to 18th century striking feature was a visibility of wide range of gods & goddesses in sculpture & text.
♦ There was integration of cults – composition, compilation & presentation of puranic texts in simple Sanskrit verses.
♦ Tantric forms of worship – more prevalent among women.
♦ Bhakti traditions classified into saguna (with athesist) and nirguna (without from attracts worship of abstract form)
♦ The Alvars and Narayanars of Tamilnadu – The worshippers of Vishnu and Nayanars – devotees of Shiva – common features – traveled singing hymns in Tamil.
♦ Alvars & nayanars initiated movement against caste system & dominance of Brahamans.
Nalayiradivyaprabandanam – important composition of Alvars equal to four Vedas.
♦ Status of women – composition of Andal (a women Alvar) popular, songs of Karaikkal Ammaiyar – were widely sung.
♦ State patronage in south for Vedic gods rather than Jainism & Buddhisn, Cholas patronized brahamnical tradition, making land grant as to lord shiva at Gangaikonda Cholapuram bronze sculpture of shiva.
♦ Singing of hymns under royal patronage were encountered – Chola ruler Parantaka I consecrated metal image of Appan, Sambandan and sundarar in Shiva temples.
♦ Karnataka saw a new movement under basavanna a brahamana in court of Chalukyan ruler – his followers Virashaivas (heroes of Shiva) or Lingayatd (wearers of Linga) – important comminuty to this day – who worship shiva in form of a linga.
♦ Lingayats challenged idea of caste and questiones the theory of rebirth. They encountered remarriage of widows.
♦ North India saw the emergence of Rajput states which patronized Brahmans – performed secular & ritual function. The Naths, Jogis, siddhas also.
♦ Through guided by ulema, rulers followed a flexible policy granting religious tax exemptions to non Muslims sometimes.
♦ Those who accepted Islam in India accepted in principal the five pillars of faith but these were overlooked with diviation in practice derived from local customs & affiliations. (summi, shia) some like in Malabar court adopted local language
♦ Sufism – Sufis were critical of dogmatic definitions & scholastic method of interpreting – Quran. They emphasized interpretation of Quran on basis of personal experiences.
♦ Chishtis – were a part of Sufis – hospices of khangah were small roome & hall for students to live & pray. Life in chaisti khangah was like the life of a monastery & catered to all travellers rich or poor. Shaikh Nizamuddin chishti had many followers.
♦ The practice of visits to dargas gained prominence by 14th century – shrines became very popular. Also music & dance & mystical chants were performed to evoke divine ecstasy.
♦ The Bhakti movement saw the emergence of poet saint like kabir where poems written in form in which every meaning are inverted.

Question. Appar was a _____________ saint?
a) Nayanari
b) Alvar
c) Lingayat
d) Kabirpanthi

Answer : A

Question. The concept of Sagunabrahmana was the outcome of which concept of Bhakti Movement?
a) Shaivism
b) Vaishnavism
c) Nirgunabraman
d) None of these

Answer : C

Question. Robert Redfield who coined the terms ’great’ and ‘little traditions’ was a ____________ ?
a) Poet
b) Sociologist
c) Traveller
d) Archaeologist

Answer : B

Question. The Pandharpur Movement is associated with the Bhakti Movement of ____________?
a) Bengal
b) Assam
c) Both A and C
d) Punjab

Answer : C

Question. Who was the minister in the court of Kalachuri ?
a) Ramanujam
b) Tukaram
c) Basavanna
d) None of these

Answer : C

Question. Name the thing which was unusual for the travellers in India)
a) Coconut
b) Paan
c) Both B and C
d) Peels of an Apple

Answer : C

Question. Narsi Mehta belongs to ___________ ?
a) Madras
b) Gujarat
c) Punjab
d) Bengal

Answer : B

Question. Which of the following is a sufi saint?
a) Nizamuddin Aauliya
b) Salivate Nayannars
c) Sakkara
d) Ibn Battuta

Answer : A

Question. Devotees of Vishnu were called __________
a) Both A and B
b) Alvars
c) None of these
d) Nayanars

Answer : B

Question. Who among the following Bhakti Saints was responsible for founding many punyakshetras along the length and breadth of India, by taming avatars of Parvati and imprisoning her essence in Sri Chakras?
a) Valmiki
b) Shankracharya
c) Tulsidas
d) Ramanujam

Answer : B

Question. In which language were Vachanas composed?
a) Tamil
b) Telugu
c) Kannada
d) Malayalam

Answer : C

Question. ___________ residence is a practice where women after marriage remain in their natal home with their children and the husbands may come to stay with them.
a) Biolocal
b) Patrilocal
c) Both A and B
d) Matrilocal

Answer : D

Question. Name the Arab general who conquered Sindh?
a) Shah Shuja
b) Muhammad Qasim
c) Nadir Shah
d) Zaman Durranni

Answer : B

Question. What do we call the science of measurement?
a) Epigraphy
b) Meteorology
c) Metrology
d) None of these

Answer : C

Question. The term Hindu was derived from ____________?
a) Persian
b) Sanskrit
c) Arabic
d) Urdu

Answer : A

Question. In which region Adavita or dualism of Jivatma and Parmatma was propagated?
a) Punjab
b) Kannada
c) Tamil
d) Bengal

Answer : B

Question. Which of the following statements is not correct about Andal?
a) Andal was a woman Nayanar, she incorporated the prevailing caste system in the society
b) Andal was a woman Alvar, the most striking features of her compositions were widely sung
c) Andal saw herself as the beloved of Vishnu; her verses express her love for the deity
d) Andal saw herself as the beloved of Krishna; her verses express her love for the deity

Answer : A

Question. Which bhakti sect was founded by Birbhan?
a) Pothi Vaishnavism
b) Vaishnavism
c) Shaivism
d) Satnamis

Answer : D

Question. Who was the writer of Rukmini Swayamwar Hastamalak?
a) Ramanujam
b) Mirabai
c) Tukaram
d) Eknath

Answer : D

Question. Who spread the Bhakti Cult in Maharashtra ?
a) Guru Ramdas
b) None of these
c) Jnaneshwar
d) Tukaram

Answer : D

Question. Who was the philosopher and reformer from Ramanandi Sampradaya?
a) Mirabai
b) Ravidass
c) Kabirdas
d) Tulsidas

Answer : D

ASSERTION AND REASON BASED MCQs 

Directions : In the following questions, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Mark the correct choice as.
(A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(B) Both A and R are true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.
(C) A is true but R is false.
(D) A is false and R is true.

Question. Assertion (A): When the Shaikh died, his tombshrine (dargah, a Persian term meaning court) became the centre of devotion for his followers.
Reason (R): People believed that the dead saint was united with God and is closer to Him after death as compared to when he was living.
Answer : A

Question. Assertion (A): Pilgrimage, called ziyarat, to tombs of sufi saints is prevalent all over the Muslim world. Amongst these, the most revered shrine is that of Khwaja Muinuddin, popularly known as “Gharib Nawaz” (comforter of the poor).
Reason (R): It was evidently popular because of the shrine’s architectural brilliance and beautiful surroundings. A
Answer : C

Question. Assertion (A): Sri Chaitanya was well-known saint and reformer of Bengal who popularised the Krishna cult.
Reason (R): He accepted disciples from all classes and castes and his teachings are widely followed in Bengal even today. 
Answer : A

Question. Assertion (A): Of the groups of sufis who migrated to India in the late twelfth century, the Chishtis were the most influential.
Reason (R): They adapted successfully to the local environment and adopted several features of Indian devotional traditions. 
Answer : A

Question. Assertion (A): During the Islamic rule in India, Namdeva the Bhakti Saint venerated in Sikhism and as well as Hindu warrior-ascetic traditions such as the Dadupanthis and the Niranjani sampraday.
Reason (R): Namdev was influenced by Vaishnavism and became widely known in India for his devotional songs set to music (bhajankirtans).
Answer : B

Question. Assertion (A): Many poet-saints engaged in explicit and implicit dialogue with these new social situations, ideas and institutions. Kabir (c. fourteenth-fifteenth centuries) is one of the most outstanding examples of a poet-saint who emerged within this context.
Reason (R): His rich corpus of verses also signifies is that Kabir was and is to the present a source of inspiration for those who questioned entrenched religious and social institutions, ideas and practices in their search for the Divine. Kabir's enduring power is seen in the reverence he is held by many Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs alike and his works stand as a bridge between the three religions. 
Answer : A

02 marks questions:

Question. What does Bhakti movement mean ? 
Answer: A series of hindu saints& reformers started religious reform movements which adopted the method of devotion ( Bhakti ) to achievethe salvation their method of expression of
devotion ranged from the routine worship of deities within temple & singing & chanting of devotional composition.

Question. Who were Alavars? 
Answer: In southern India the devotees of Vishnu were called Alvars.

Question. Give the name of any four well known reformers of Bhakti movement ? 
Answer: Ramanand swami, Kabir, Guru nanak dev, Mira Bai.

Question. What do you mean by Sufism? 
Answer: The sufis were muslim saints Who left a great impact on the Indian society Sufism originated in Persia.

Question. What is the importance of Murshid in Sufi ideology? 
Answer:According to Sufism, an individual must have a religious guide (Murshid) through whom he can communicate with god. The pir is a ladder which enables a man to reach the goal of life Devotion to the Murshid is the worship of god.

05 marks questions

Question. Describe the causes of the rise of Bhakti movement? 
Answer:
1. Influence of Vaishnavism
2. Evil practices of the Hindues
3. Fear of sprit of Islam
4. Influence of sufi sects
5. Emergence of great reformers.

Question. Describe the main Principal of Bhakti movement ? 
Answer:
1. Faith in god
2. Good deeds
3. Universal Brotherhood
4. Emotional worship
5. Condemned idol worship
6. Opposed to the rigidity of caste system
7. Guru Bhakti

Question. Discuss the influences & importance of Bhakti movement?
Answer:
RELIGIOUS EFFECTS
1. Saked Hinduism
2. Lowered the prestige of the Brahmins
3. Checked the propagation of Islam
4. Emergence of Sikhism
5. Setback back to Buddhism
SOCIAL & CULTURAL IMPACT
(a) Improvement in the social relation between the Hindus & Muslims
(b) Uplift of lower class
(c) Promoted the spirit of social service
(d) Development of composite art in the society
(e) Enrichment of Literature.

Question. What were the main Principle of Sufism? 
Answer:
1. Worship of God
2. Renunciation of wordly pleasure
3. Non violence & pacitism
4. Love of mankind
5. Importance of Murshid
6. Principle of Morality
7. Importance of singing & Dancing in worship of Allah

Question. What were Attitude of the Nayanars & Alavars sects towards the cast? 
Answer: Some historians are of the view that Alvars & Nayanaras started a movement of Protest against the cast system & the dominance of Brahmans are at least made effort to reform them. This view is supported by the fact, that these Bhakti reformers came from diverse social background some of the belonged to lower classes such as Cultivaters, Artism & untouchahable some of them Barman background. The Alvars & Nayanars claimed that their compositions were as important as the Vedas. The tamil song of the Alvars are marked by such depth of feeling & trupiety that they are looked upon as vaishnava Vedas. the nayanaras composed their devotional songs with the highest spiritual sentiments & set up shaivism on a strang tooting. these songs are still popular in south India.

Question. Describe the teaching of Kabir? How does he describe the ultimate reality through the poems? 
Answer:
(a) To achieve inward spiritual bliss
(b) Condemnation of empty ritual
(c) To faster harmony between Hinduism & Islam
(d) He believed in one formless God
(e) Rejected both Vedas & Kuran & the supremacy of the Brahmins & Mulas
(f) He opposed the caste system & image worship
(g) He taught the unity of god & the path of love & devotion
(h) He emphasized on bhakti to achieve salvation or Moksha.
Kabir gave different names of ultimate reality. In Islam these include Allah Hazrat, Khuda and pir. He also used terms taken from Vaedantic traditions like alakh, nirankar, brahman and atman.

SOURCE BASE QUESTION AND ANSWER

Carefully read the following excerpts and answer the following questions :
A Church in Khambat
This is an excerpt from a farman (imperial order) issued by Akbar in 1598.
Whereas it reached our eminent and holy notice that the padres (father) of the holy society. Of Jesus wish to build a house of prayer ( church) in the city of Kambayat (Khambat in Gujrat) therefore an exalted mandate….. is being issued …. That the dignitaries of the city of Kambayat should in no case stand in their way but should allow them to build a church, so that they may engage themselves in their own worship it is necessary that the order of the emperor should be obeyed in every way.

Question. From where has this excerpt been taken? 
Answer: This excerpt has been taken from a farman (imperial order) issued by Akbar in 1598

Question. What message did Akbar conveyed to the people of Gujrat through this order. 
Answer: Through this farman Akbar ordered to the people of Gujrat to allow the construction of a Church by the padries (fathers) of the holy society of Jesus.

Question. which aspect of the religious nature of Akbar does this order indicate? 
Answer: This order indicates Akbar’s policy of religious toleration. We come to know that Akbar use to give equal respect to all the religions.

Question. Who were the people from whom Akbar anticipated opposition to his order? 
Answer: Akbar anticipated opposition to his order from non-Christians

Question. Discuss the ways in which the Alwars, Nayanars and Virashaivas expressed critiques of the caste systems.
Answer: Some historians suggest that the Alvars and Nayanars initiated a movement of protest against the caste system and the dominance of Brahmanas or at least attempted to reform the system. To some extent this is corroborated by the fact that bhaktas hailed from diverse social backgrounds ranging from Brahmanas to artisans and cultivators and even from castes considered "untouchable".
* The twelfth century witnessed the emergence of a new movement in Karnataka, led by a Brahmana named Basavanna (1106-08). His followers were known as Virashaivas or Lingayats (Wearers of the linga).
* The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and the pollution attributed to certain groups by Brahmanas. They also questioned the theory of rebirth. These won them followers amongst those who were marginalised within the Brahmanical social order.
* The Lingayats also encouraged certain practices disapproved in the Dharmashastras, such as postpuberty marriage and the remarriage of widows.

Question. Analyse, with illustrations, why bhakti and sufi thinkers adopted a variety of languages in which to express their opinions.
Answer: Bhakti thinkers and different languages which were adopted by them to express their opinion.
(i) Early Bhakti Saints Pali, Prakarat Tamil and Malyalam etc. languages.
(ii) The Brahmans of South Indian put his views and ideas in Sanskrit and local languages.
(iii) Kabir's poems have survived in several languages and dialects, and some are composed the special languages of nirguna poets.
(iv) Baba Guru Nanak, Ravidas etc. composed their hymns in various languages such as Punjabi and Hindi etc.
(v) Mirabai compose her Bhajans in Rajsthani and Hindi.
(vi) Some saint of Maharastra and Gujarati uses Marathi and Gujarati language.
According to Sufi thinkers -
(i) Sufi thinkers also live with peoples. They uses serveral languages. They uses Hindvi or persian language.
(ii) Baba Farid used local language. Hindvi persian, Panjabi, Urdu and some other form of languages are also seen.
(iii) A different genre of Sufi poetry was composed in an around the town of Bijapur, Karnataka. These were short poems in Dakhani (a variant of Urdu) attributed to Chisthi Sufis who lived in this region during the 17th and 18th centuries.
(iv) Some Sufi saints give their pledge in Telgu, Malayalam languages.

Question. "Kabir was a famous saint of Bhakti period". Examin that statement.
Answer: Kabir was a famous saint of Bhakti period. That facts is examine by the following points :
Kabir's Teachings :
(i) Kabir did not accept the caste distinction. He believed that none could be high or low on the score of caste.
(ii) Kabir was opposed to customs and rituals. He has opposed worship, roja-namaj, pilgrimage and haj etc.
(iii) 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.
(iv) His teachings openly ridiculed all forms of external worship of both Brahmanical Hinduism and Islam the pre-eminence of the priestly classes and the caste system.
(v) Kabir opposed caste distincition, condemned bad company, stressed upon - meditation and love. He identified the teacher with God.

Question. Explain with examples what historians mean by the integration of cults.
Answer: From tenth to 17th century the most striking religious features is the increasing visibility of a wide range god and goddes in sculpture as well as in religious books at one level, this indicates the continued and extended worship
major dieties Vishnu, Shiva and goodness like Durga, Laxmi -
- Historians who have tried to understand these developments suggest that there were at least two processes at work. One was a process of disseminating Brahmanical ideas.
- This is examplified by the composition, compilation and preservation of puranic texts in simple Sanskrit verse, explicity meant to be accessible to women and Shudras, who were generally excluded from Vedic learning.
- At the same time there was a second process at work that of the Brahmanans accepting and reworking the beliefs and practices of these and other social categories.
Example - Through an instance we can say that a local diety whose image was and continues to be made of wood by local tribal specialists, was recognised as a form of Vishnu.
These local deities were often incorporated within the Puranic framework by providing them with an identity as a wife of the principal male deities - sometimes they were equated with Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu.