Class | Subject | Book | Chapter | Session | Questions covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XII | History | Themes in Indian History Part II (NCERT) | 2 – Bhakti-Sufi Traditions: Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts | 2026-27 | 12 of 12 |
Chapter at a glance
Topic | Key point |
|---|---|
Period | c. 8th – 18th century |
Integration of cults | Local deities identified with major deities (Jagannatha at Puri as Vishnu; goddesses as Shakti); great and little traditions (Robert Redfield) |
Alvars and Nayanars | Tamil devotees of Vishnu and Shiva (6th c. onwards); Nalayira Divyaprabandham, Tevaram; critiqued caste; women saints Andal, Karaikkal Ammaiyar |
Virashaivas (Lingayats) | Basavanna (12th c., Karnataka); worship Shiva as linga; rejected caste, pollution, rituals; vachanas |
Islam in India | Traders, Arab conquest of Sind (711); zimmis; mosques — universal (qibla towards Mecca) + local styles |
Sufism | Mystics; khanqah, silsila, pir, murid, dargah, ziyarat, sama, zikr; Chishti order (Muinuddin Chishti at Ajmer, Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi); be-shari’a vs ba-shari’a |
North Indian sants | Kabir (Bijak, Kabir Granthavali, Guru Granth Sahib), Guru Nanak (Adi Granth), Mirabai, Shankaradeva (Assam) |
Sources | Hagiographies, malfuzat, maktubat, tazkiras, poetry, sculpture, temples |
Exercises – Answer in 100–150 words
Explain with examples what historians mean by the integration of cults.
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Historians use the term integration of cults to describe the process by which local, regional or folk deities and traditions were combined with, or absorbed into, the major Brahmanical traditions of worship (Vishnu, Shiva, the goddess), resulting in a blend of “great” and “little” traditions.
Two processes: 1. Spread of Brahmanical ideas – Puranic texts were composed, compiled and preserved in simple Sanskrit verses, explicitly meant to be accessible to women and Shudras, who were generally excluded from Vedic learning. 2. Reworking of local beliefs – Brahmanas accepted and reworked the beliefs and practices of Shudras and other social groups, adapting local deities into the Brahmanical fold.
Examples: 1. Jagannatha at Puri (Odisha) – the principal deity, Jagannatha (literally “lord of the world”), was a local deity whose wooden image was made by local tribal specialists; he was identified as a form of Vishnu. His image is very different from other images of Vishnu. 2. Goddess cults – local goddesses, often worshipped simply as a stone smeared with ochre, were incorporated into Puranic traditions by being identified as wives of the principal male deities, e.g. as consorts of Vishnu (Lakshmi) or Shiva (Parvati). 3. Tantric practices – widespread in Kashmir, Assam, Bengal, Odisha; open to women and men, often ignoring caste and class differences in ritual contexts; they influenced Shaivism and Buddhism.
Sociologist Robert Redfield used the terms great tradition (practices of dominant classes, priests and rulers, accepted widely) and little tradition (local, peasant practices) — integration shows how the two interacted.
Integration of cults means local and folk deities and practices being absorbed into major Brahmanical traditions, alongside the spread of Puranic ideas — e.g. the local wooden deity Jagannatha at Puri identified as Vishnu, local goddesses identified as consorts of Vishnu or Shiva, and Tantric practices influencing Shaivism; it shows the interaction of “great” and “little” traditions (Redfield).
To what extent do you think the architecture of mosques in the subcontinent reflects a combination of universal ideals and local traditions?
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Universal ideals (common to all mosques): 1. Orientation towards Mecca – all mosques have a qibla wall facing Mecca, evident in the placement of the mihrab (prayer niche). 2. Minbar (pulpit) for the sermon, and a large prayer hall/courtyard for congregational prayer, especially on Fridays. 3. Minarets for the call to prayer.
Local traditions (regional variations): 1. Mosques adopted local building materials and styles, including roofs, decorative patterns and construction methods. 2. Kerala – the Mosque at Kodungallur (13th century) and others have sloping, tiled roofs resembling temple roofs, suitable for heavy rain. 3. Bengal – the Atiya mosque in Mymensingh district (Bangladesh), built of brick with curved roofs similar to Bengali huts (do-chala). 4. Kashmir – the Shah Hamadan mosque in Srinagar on the banks of the Jhelum is a fine example of Kashmiri wooden architecture: its spire and beautifully carved eaves resemble a temple or pagoda, with papier mâché decoration. 5. Other regions used local stone and decorative motifs (e.g. lotus, bells).
Conclusion: Mosque architecture reflects a balance — universal features required by Islamic faith (qibla, mihrab, minbar) combined with local materials, climate-suited roofs and decorative traditions, showing the integration of Islam into regional cultures.
Mosques reflect both: universal features like the qibla wall and mihrab facing Mecca, the minbar and congregational space, combined with local materials and styles — sloping tiled roofs in Kerala (Kodungallur), brick and hut-shaped roofs in Bengal (Atiya mosque), and wooden, pagoda-like architecture in Kashmir (Shah Hamadan mosque, Srinagar).
What were the similarities and differences between the be-shari’a and ba-shari’a sufi traditions?
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Shari’a is the law governing the Muslim community, based on the Qur’an, hadis, qiyas (analogy) and ijma (consensus).
Ba-shari’a sufis | Be-shari’a sufis |
|---|---|
Those who complied with the shari’a | Those who ignored or rejected the shari’a |
Lived in khanqahs, organised into silsilas (orders like the Chishti, Suhrawardi) | Did not form organised orders; individual or groups of wandering mystics |
Followed rituals, prayer and fasting, along with mystical practices | Rejected the khanqah, ritual and conventional norms; practised extreme asceticism |
E.g. Chishti and Suhrawardi saints (Nizamuddin Auliya) | Known as qalandars, madaris, malangs, haidaris, etc.; they wandered, begged, shaved their heads, beards, eyebrows; lived in poverty and celibacy |
Similarities: 1. Both sought a mystical, personal union with God through love and devotion. 2. Both criticised the dogmatic definitions and scholastic methods of interpreting the Qur’an and sunna adopted by theologians, and opposed the growing materialism of the Caliphate. 3. Both practised forms of renunciation and devotion; many were respected as holy men.
Ba-shari’a sufis followed the shari’a, lived in khanqahs and belonged to organised silsilas such as the Chishtis; be-shari’a sufis (qalandars, madaris, malangs, haidaris) ignored the shari’a, rejected khanqahs and ritual, and lived as wandering, radical ascetics. Both sought a personal, mystical union with God and criticised dogmatic theology and materialism.
Discuss the ways in which the Alvars, Nayanars and Virashaivas expressed critiques of the caste system.
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Alvars and Nayanars (Tamil Nadu, 6th century onwards): 1. Some historians suggest that they initiated a movement of protest against the caste system and the dominance of Brahmanas, or at least attempted to reform the system. 2. Devotees came from diverse social backgrounds — Brahmanas, artisans, cultivators and even castes considered “untouchable”. 3. Their compositions expressed this: e.g. an Alvar said — “Brahmanas who know the four Vedas, if they are not devotees of Vishnu, are inferior to the ‘slaves’ (low castes) who love Vishnu” (Tondaradippodi Alvar). Appar, a Nayanar, said those who do not love Shiva, even if they are learned, are like outcastes. 4. The Alvars’ compilation, the Nalayira Divyaprabandham, was described as the “Tamil Veda”, claiming it was as significant as the four Sanskrit Vedas cherished by Brahmanas. 5. Women devotees like Andal (Alvar) and Karaikkal Ammaiyar (Nayanar) challenged patriarchal norms. 6. However, their critique had limits — some historians argue that they did not fundamentally challenge caste, and Brahmanas remained important; Chola rulers patronised them.
Virashaivas (Lingayats, Karnataka, 12th century), led by Basavanna: 1. Worshipped Shiva in the form of a linga; men wear a small linga in a silver case on a string over the left shoulder. 2. They challenged the idea of caste and the “pollution” attributed to certain groups by Brahmanas. 3. They questioned the theory of rebirth, which Brahmanas used to justify caste. 4. They won followers among those marginalised within the Brahmanical social order. 5. They encouraged practices disapproved in the Dharmashastras: post-puberty marriage and remarriage of widows. 6. They buried the dead instead of cremating them, believing devotees go directly to Shiva. 7. Their compositions, the vachanas in Kannada, criticised caste and ritual.
The Alvars and Nayanars drew devotees from all castes, including “untouchables”, declared that devotees of low birth were superior to Brahmanas without devotion, called their Divyaprabandham the “Tamil Veda”, and included women saints like Andal and Karaikkal Ammaiyar. The Virashaivas under Basavanna challenged caste and pollution, questioned rebirth, attracted marginalised groups, supported post-puberty marriage and widow remarriage, buried the dead, and expressed these ideas in Kannada vachanas.
Describe the major teachings of either Kabir or Baba Guru Nanak, and the ways in which these have been transmitted.
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(Both are given; students may write about either.)
Kabir (c. 14th–15th century): - Teachings: 1. Described the Ultimate Reality using a variety of terms and traditions — Allah, Khuda, Hazrat and Pir (Islamic); Alakh (unseen), Nirakar (formless), Brahman, Atman (Vedantic); shabda (sound) and shunya (emptiness) from yogic traditions. 2. Rejected idol worship and polytheism, and attacked external rituals of both Hinduism and Islam — e.g. mocked the call to prayer and pilgrimage; criticised Brahmanical ritual and caste. 3. Emphasised devotion to a formless God (nirguna bhakti), the oneness of God, inner purity and the guidance of the guru. 4. Used ulatbansi (upside-down sayings) — paradoxical expressions that are difficult to understand. - Transmission: his verses were compiled in three distinct but overlapping traditions — the Kabir Bijak (preserved by the Kabirpanth in Varanasi and elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh), the Kabir Granthavali (associated with the Dadupanth in Rajasthan), and many compositions in the Adi Granth Sahib. They were transmitted orally, sung by wandering singers and devotees; there are disputes over authorship. Kabir’s poems survive in several languages and dialects.
Baba Guru Nanak (1469–1539): - Teachings: 1. Advocated a form of nirguna bhakti. 2. Rejected sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, austerities and the scriptures of both Hindus and Muslims. 3. For him, the Absolute or “rab” had no gender or form; he proposed a simple way to connect to the Divine — remembering and repeating the Divine Name (nam), expressing ideas through hymns called shabad. 4. Organised his followers into a community with rules for congregational worship (sangat) involving collective recitation; appointed one of his disciples, Angad, to succeed him as preceptor (guru). 5. Did not wish to establish a new religion, but after his death his followers formed a distinct community. - Transmission: his hymns, sung in different ragas, were compiled by the fifth guru, Guru Arjan, in the Adi Granth Sahib, together with hymns of his successors and other religious poets like Baba Farid, Ravidas and Kabir. In the late 17th century, Guru Gobind Singh included the compositions of the ninth guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, and the scripture was called the Guru Granth Sahib. Hymns are sung in gurdwaras (kirtan); Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth (1699).
Kabir described the Ultimate Reality with terms from Islam, Vedanta and yoga, rejected idol worship, ritual and caste, and stressed devotion to a formless God; his verses survive in the Kabir Bijak, Kabir Granthavali and Adi Granth, transmitted orally by singers. Guru Nanak taught nirguna bhakti, rejected rituals, images and austerities, emphasised remembering the Divine Name through shabads and congregational worship; his hymns were compiled by Guru Arjan in the Adi Granth (later Guru Granth Sahib) and are sung in gurdwaras.
Exercises – Short essay (about 250–300 words)
Discuss the major beliefs and practices that characterised Sufism.
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Origins: In the early centuries of Islam, a group of religious-minded people called sufis turned to asceticism and mysticism in protest against the growing materialism of the Caliphate as a religious and political institution. They were critical of the dogmatic definitions and scholastic methods of interpreting the Qur’an and sunna adopted by theologians, and laid emphasis on seeking salvation through intense devotion and love for God, by following His commands and the example of the Prophet Muhammad, whom they regarded as a perfect human being. They interpreted the Qur’an on the basis of their personal experience.
Beliefs and practices: 1. Khanqah – by the 11th century, Sufism evolved into a well-developed movement; sufis organised communities around the hospice or khanqah (Persian), controlled by a teaching master known as shaikh (Arabic), pir or murshid (Persian). He enrolled disciples (murids) and appointed a successor (khalifa). 2. Silsila – sufi orders (silsila = chain) signifying a continuous link between master and disciple, stretching as an unbroken spiritual genealogy to the Prophet Muhammad. Through this channel, spiritual power and blessings were transmitted to devotees. Special rituals of initiation: taking an oath of allegiance, wearing a patched garment, shaving the head. 3. Dargah – when the shaikh died, his tomb-shrine (dargah, Persian for court) became the centre of devotion; this encouraged the practice of pilgrimage (ziyarat) to his grave, particularly on his death anniversary, or urs (marriage, signifying union of his soul with God). People believed that saints were blessed with barakat (spiritual grace) and sought their intercession. 4. Major orders in India – the Chishti order (Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti at Ajmer, Nizamuddin Auliya at Delhi, Shaikh Salim Chishti at Fatehpur Sikri), Suhrawardi, Qadiri, Naqshbandi. 5. Practices of the Chishtis – sama (spiritual music, singing of qawwali) to evoke divine ecstasy; zikr (chanting of the names of God); langar (open kitchen) run on futuh (unasked-for charity); austerity, living in poverty, adapting to local traditions; accessibility to all — rich and poor, Hindus and Muslims. 6. Relations with the state – they maintained a distance from worldly power, but accepted donations and grants from rulers. 7. Be-shari’a and ba-shari’a traditions. 8. Use of local languages – Chishtis conversed in Hindavi; Baba Farid composed verses in the local language; sufi poetry such as masnavis, qawwalis.
Sufis turned to mysticism and intense love of God in protest against the materialism of the Caliphate and dogmatic theology. Practices included khanqahs led by a shaikh/pir with murids and a khalifa; silsilas linking masters to the Prophet; dargahs, ziyarat and urs, with belief in the saint’s barakat; Chishti practices of sama (qawwali), zikr, langar and austerity; ba-shari’a and be-shari’a traditions; and the use of local languages.
Examine how and why rulers tried to establish connections with the traditions of the Nayanars and the sufis.
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Rulers and the Nayanars (Chola rulers, 9th–13th centuries): 1. How: Chola rulers supported Brahmanical and bhakti traditions — they made land grants and constructed magnificent Shiva temples at Chidambaram, Thanjavur (Brihadishvara) and Gangaikondacholapuram. They also commissioned spectacular bronze sculptures of Shiva. 2. Images of Alvar and Nayanar saints were installed in temples and carried in processions during festivals. 3. They introduced the singing of Tamil Shaiva hymns in temples under royal patronage, and took the initiative to collect and organise them into a text (Tevaram). 4. An inscription of Parantaka I (c. 945 CE) records that he consecrated metal images of Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar in a Shiva temple. 5. Why: to claim divine support and legitimacy for their power; to win popular support since the saints were revered by the people; to display their power and wealth through grand temples, which also became centres of economic activity.
Rulers and the sufis (Delhi Sultans and Mughals): 1. How: rulers gave land grants (inam) and donations to sufi khanqahs and dargahs, visited and paid homage at shrines. - Muhammad bin Tughlaq was the first Sultan to visit the shrine of Muinuddin Chishti at Ajmer. - Akbar visited Ajmer fourteen times, sometimes two or three times a year, seeking blessings for new conquests, fulfilment of vows or the birth of sons; he built the Buland Darwaza and a tomb for Shaikh Salim Chishti at Fatehpur Sikri. - Jahanara (Shah Jahan’s daughter) wrote about her pilgrimage to Ajmer. 2. Why: - Sufis enjoyed great popularity and moral authority among people of all faiths; associating with them gave rulers legitimacy, especially since the rulers were a minority ruling over a predominantly non-Muslim population. - Rulers believed the saints were intermediaries with God and that their blessings (barakat) would bring success. - The ulama could give only a theological basis; sufis gave popular support. - Sufis sometimes accepted donations but tried to keep their distance from the state; tensions occasionally arose (e.g. rulers wanted sufis to show deference).
Chola rulers built grand Shiva temples (Chidambaram, Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram), made land grants, installed images of Nayanar saints (Parantaka I) and had their hymns sung and compiled, to gain divine legitimacy and popular support. Sultans and Mughals gave grants to khanqahs and visited dargahs — Muhammad bin Tughlaq and Akbar (fourteen times) at Ajmer — because sufis had great popularity and moral authority, and their blessings and support helped legitimise rule over a diverse population.
Analyse, with illustrations, why bhakti and sufi thinkers adopted a variety of languages in which to express their opinions.
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Why they used a variety of languages: 1. To reach ordinary people – bhakti and sufi saints wanted to communicate with common people, most of whom did not know Sanskrit (the language of Brahmanical texts) or Arabic/Persian (languages of Islamic theology and courts). Using local languages made their messages accessible. 2. Critique of elite traditions – the use of regional languages was a way of rejecting the monopoly of Brahmanas and the ulama over religious knowledge, and challenging caste and orthodoxy. 3. Oral and musical traditions – their compositions were sung and recited, so they used languages that people spoke and sang in. 4. Reflecting local cultures – saints drew on local idioms, imagery and folk traditions.
Illustrations: 1. Alvars and Nayanars composed in Tamil; the Nalayira Divyaprabandham was called the “Tamil Veda”. 2. Basavanna and the Virashaivas used Kannada (vachanas). 3. Kabir used a mixture of dialects — sant bhasha, Hindavi, Awadhi, Braj, Bhojpuri; his verses survive in different regional forms. 4. Guru Nanak composed in Punjabi (Gurmukhi script), with hymns in many ragas. 5. Mirabai composed in Rajasthani and Gujarati; Shankaradeva in Assamese and Brajavali. 6. Sufis: the Chishtis in Delhi conversed in Hindavi, the language of the people; Baba Farid composed verses in the local language (Punjabi), which were incorporated into the Guru Granth Sahib. 7. Sufi poetry in different forms: long poems called masnavis expressing ideas of divine love through human love (e.g. Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, about Padmini and Ratansen); lullabies, wedding songs (charkhanama — spinning-wheel songs, chakkinama — grinding songs) sung by women in Dakhani (a variant of Urdu) in Bijapur, Karnataka, set to the rhythm of household chores; Persian was also used for treatises, malfuzat and maktubat. 8. Sufi music (sama) – qawwali, using Hindavi and local idioms.
Bhakti and sufi thinkers used many languages to reach ordinary people who did not know Sanskrit or Persian/Arabic, to challenge elite monopolies over religious knowledge, and to suit oral and musical traditions and local cultures. E.g. Alvars and Nayanars in Tamil, Basavanna in Kannada, Kabir in sant bhasha and dialects, Guru Nanak in Punjabi, Mirabai in Rajasthani and Gujarati, Shankaradeva in Assamese; sufis in Hindavi (Chishtis), Punjabi (Baba Farid), masnavis like Jayasi’s Padmavat, and Dakhani charkhanama and chakkinama songs.
Read any five of the sources included in this chapter and discuss the social and religious ideas that are expressed in them.
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(Five sources from the chapter and the ideas they express:)
- Alvar’s critique of caste (Tondaradippodi Alvar) – “You (Vishnu) manifestly like those ‘servants’ who express their love for your feet, even if they are born outside the four varnas, more than the Chaturvedins (Brahmanas who know the four Vedas) who are strangers and without allegiance to your service.” Ideas: devotion matters more than birth; critique of Brahmanical caste hierarchy.
- Karaikkal Ammaiyar’s composition – describes herself as a demon-like figure devoted to Shiva, having renounced beauty and social obligations. Ideas: a woman saint rejecting patriarchal norms and conventional ideals of womanhood; intense devotion.
- Basavanna’s vachana – “When they see a serpent carved in stone they pour milk on it; if a real serpent comes they say: ‘Kill. Kill.’ To the servant of the god who could eat if served, they say: ‘Go away! Go away!’; but to the image of the god which cannot eat they offer dishes of food.” Ideas: critique of ritualism and image worship; emphasis on compassion and service to human beings.
- Kabir’s verse (“Hari in the East, Allah in the West”) – “Tell me, brother, how can there be no one lord of the world but two? … The Hindus say Hari, the Muslims Allah … they are one.” Ideas: oneness of God; rejection of religious divisions and external rituals of both Hinduism and Islam.
- Guru Nanak’s hymn – “Make continence the furnace, patience the goldsmith … the name of God the hammer.” / “Wash with water the body … wash with God’s name the mind.” Ideas: inner purity, remembrance of the Divine Name, rejection of ritual; ethical conduct.
- Mirabai’s song – “Rana gave me a cup of poison… I am not afraid… I will go to Mohan (Krishna).” Ideas: defiance of family and patriarchal and caste norms; devotion to Krishna.
- A sufi source – Akbar’s farman / Jahanara’s account of pilgrimage to Ajmer – Ideas: reverence for sufi saints across society, royal patronage, belief in barakat.
Common ideas: personal devotion to God, rejection of rituals and caste distinctions, equality of devotees, the importance of the guru, and the use of local languages.
Sample: Tondaradippodi Alvar valued low-caste devotees over Brahmanas (devotion over birth); Karaikkal Ammaiyar rejected patriarchal ideals of womanhood; Basavanna’s vachana mocked ritual image worship and urged compassion for living beings; Kabir declared Hari and Allah to be one and rejected external rituals; Guru Nanak’s hymns stressed inner purity and the Divine Name; Mirabai defied family and caste norms. Together they express personal devotion, rejection of ritual and caste, and equality.
Exercises – Map work and Projects
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).
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Sufi shrines (dargahs): 1. Ajmer (Rajasthan) – dargah of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti. 2. Delhi – dargah of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya (also Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki at Mehrauli, Nasiruddin Chiragh-i-Delhi). 3. Fatehpur Sikri (near Agra, Uttar Pradesh) – tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti. (Others: Pakpattan — Baba Farid (Pakistan); Gulbarga — Khwaja Bandanawaz Gisudaraz (Karnataka); Multan — Bahauddin Zakariya.)
Temples: 1. Vishnu – Jagannatha temple, Puri (Odisha); or Srirangam (Tamil Nadu), Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh). 2. Shiva – Brihadishvara temple, Thanjavur or Chidambaram (Nataraja) (Tamil Nadu); or Kashi Vishwanath, Varanasi. 3. Goddess – Kamakhya temple, Guwahati (Assam); or Vaishno Devi (Jammu), Kalighat (Kolkata), Madurai Meenakshi.
Sufi shrines: Ajmer (Muinuddin Chishti), Delhi (Nizamuddin Auliya), Fatehpur Sikri (Salim Chishti). Temples: Puri (Jagannatha — Vishnu), Thanjavur or Chidambaram (Shiva), and Kamakhya in Guwahati (goddess).
Choose any two of the religious teachers/thinkers/saints mentioned in this chapter, and find out more about their lives and teachings. Prepare a report about the area and the times in which they lived, their major ideas, how we know about them, and why you think they are important.
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(Sample report on two saints.)
1. Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya (1238–1325) - Area and times: born in Badaun (Uttar Pradesh); lived in Delhi (Ghiyaspur) during the reigns of several Delhi Sultans, including Alauddin Khalji and Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. - Major ideas: belonged to the Chishti silsila (disciple of Baba Farid); emphasised love of God, service to humanity, compassion for the poor, tolerance of all religions, renunciation of wealth, and sama (devotional music). Ran a langar open to all. Kept a distance from the Sultans’ courts. - How we know: Fawa’id-al-Fu’ad, a collection of his conversations (malfuzat) compiled by Amir Hasan Sijzi Dehlavi; poetry of his disciple Amir Khusrau; later hagiographies. - Importance: his dargah in Delhi remains a centre of pilgrimage for people of all faiths; qawwali tradition; message of harmony.
2. Mirabai (c. 15th–16th century) - Area and times: a Rajput princess from Merta in Marwar (Rajasthan), married against her wishes to a prince of the Sisodia clan of Mewar (Chittorgarh). - Major ideas: devotion to Krishna, whom she regarded as her lover and husband; defied her husband and his family, who tried to poison her; rejected the norms of a Rajput wife and caste society; according to some traditions, her guru was Raidas, a leather worker. - How we know: her songs (padas), transmitted orally, sung by women and men, especially the poor and “low caste” in Rajasthan and Gujarat; hagiographies and legends. - Importance: a symbol of women’s assertion and devotion; inspiration through centuries.
Sample: Nizamuddin Auliya (1238–1325), a Chishti sufi in Delhi, taught love of God, service to the poor, tolerance and sama; we know him from Amir Hasan Sijzi’s Fawa’id-al-Fu’ad and Amir Khusrau’s poetry; his dargah remains a shared pilgrimage centre. Mirabai, a Rajput princess of Merta married into Mewar, devoted herself to Krishna, defied family, gender and caste norms (guru Raidas); her songs survive orally and still inspire people, especially the poor.
Find out more about practices of pilgrimage associated with the shrines mentioned in this chapter. Are these pilgrimages still undertaken? When are these shrines visited? Who visits these shrines? Why do they do so? What are the activities associated with these pilgrimages?
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(Sample — Dargah of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, Ajmer, and Jagannatha temple, Puri.)
1. Ajmer Sharif (Dargah of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, “Gharib Nawaz”) - Still undertaken? Yes — lakhs of pilgrims visit every year. - When: throughout the year, especially during the Urs (death anniversary) in the Islamic month of Rajab (six days), and on Thursdays/Fridays. - Who: people of all religions, castes and classes — Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and others; politicians and film stars; people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and abroad. - Why: to seek blessings (barakat), fulfil vows (mannat) for health, children, jobs, success; spiritual peace; reverence for the saint. - Activities: offering a chadar (decorated cloth) and flowers on the tomb, tying threads, qawwali (sama) performances, distribution of food from the huge cauldrons (degs) as langar, prayers, ziyarat.
2. Jagannatha temple, Puri - When: throughout the year; especially the Rath Yatra (chariot festival) in June–July, when the images of Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra are taken in huge chariots to the Gundicha temple. - Who: Hindu devotees from all over India and abroad (non-Hindus are not allowed inside the temple, but can watch the Rath Yatra). - Why: devotion, belief that a pilgrimage to Puri (one of the four dhams) brings merit and salvation; to see the deity on the chariot. - Activities: darshan, pulling the chariots, eating mahaprasad (cooked in the temple kitchen and shared by all regardless of caste), bathing in the sea, buying souvenirs.
Sample: pilgrimages continue. At Ajmer Sharif, people of all faiths come year-round and especially during the Urs in Rajab to seek blessings and fulfil vows, offering chadars and flowers, listening to qawwali and sharing langar. At Puri, Hindu devotees visit all year and especially for the Rath Yatra, for darshan, pulling the chariots and sharing mahaprasad, believing it brings merit.
Topic checklist
- ☒ Integration of cults; mosque architecture (Q 1, 2)
- ☒ Alvars, Nayanars, Virashaivas and caste (Q 4, 7)
- ☒ Sufism: beliefs, practices, ba-shari’a and be-shari’a (Q 3, 6, 7)
- ☒ Kabir, Guru Nanak, Mirabai; languages and sources (Q 5, 8, 9, 11)
- ☒ Map work and pilgrimage project (Q 10, 12)