Describe the major teachings of either Kabir or Baba Guru Nanak, and the ways in which these have been transmitted.
Kabir is a great poet-cum-saint of Indian society. He has had appeal among Hindus and Muslims alike as it is believed that he was bom as Hindu but was brought up by a muslim couple. He wrote poems that exhorted both communities to take to social reforms. The major teachings of Kabir were as follows:
1.Kabir described God as nirankar (having no shape). He used the terms drawn from Islamic tradition like Allah, Khuda, Hajrat and Peer but also used words of Vedic traditions like Alakh ( (the unseen) and nirakar ( the formless). Thus, he freely took to both traditions viz. Islamic and Vedantic.
2.He repudiated idol worship and polytheism.
3.He emphasised on the oneness of God though there can be many names of His.
4.He criticised religious rituals of hindus and muslims alike.
5.He also preached against caste discrimination.
6.He combined the Sufi traditions of love of God with the Hindi tradition of remembrance of God.
7.He also emphasised the dignity of labour. Thus, the essence of the teachings of Kabir was simple living based on love and respect all. He wrote in simple
language to be understood by common man of the country. Guru Nanak and his teachings Guru Nanak was born in a Hindu family in 1469 at Nankana Saheb on the bank of the river Ravi. His birth place is now in Pakistan. He learnt Persian, Arabic , Hindi and Mathematics. He spent time in company of Sufi saints and Bhaktas of various socio-religious movements. The major teachings of Guru\ Nanak are as follows:
1. He rejected the religious texts of both Hindus and Muslims.
2. He preached God is Nirakar viz. without any shape.
3. He criticised the religious practices like ceremonial bath, sacrifices , idol worship and emphasised simplicity.
4. He called upon his followers to connect to divine by remembering and repeating the divine name. Guru Nanak expressed himself in Punjabi, the language of the local people in a lyrical form called Shabad. Shabad can be recited in various ragas.
Discuss the ways in which the Alvars, Nayanars and Virashaivas expressed critiques of the caste system.
Examine how and why rulers tried to establish connections with the traditions of the Nayanars and the sufis.
What were the similarities and differences between the be-shari‘a and ba-shari‘a sufi traditions?
Explain with examples what historians mean by the integration of cults.
To what extent do you think the architecture of mosques in the subcontinent reflects a combination of universal ideals and local traditions?
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).
Analyse, with illustrations, why bhakti and sufi thinkers adopted a variety of languages in which to express their opinions.
Discuss the major beliefs and practices that characterised Sufism.
Read any five of the sources included in this chapter and discuss the social and religious ideas that are expressed in them.
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.
Write a note on the Kitab-ul-Hind.
What have been the methods used to study the ruins of Hampi over the last two centuries? In what way do you think they would have complemented the information provided by the priests of the Virupaksha temple?
What are the problems in using the Ain as a source for reconstructing agrarian history? How do historians deal with this situation?
Describe the process of manuscript production in the Mughal court.
Compare and contrast the perspectives from which Ibn Battuta and Bernier wrote their accounts of their travels in India.
How were the water requirements of Vijayanagara met?
To what extent is it possible to characterise agricultural production in the sixteenth-seventeenth centuries as subsistence agriculture? Give reasons for your answer.
In what ways would the daily routine and special festivities associated with the Mughal court have conveyed a sense of the power of the emperor?
Discuss the picture of urban centres that emerges from Bernier’s account.
What do you think were the advantages and disadvantages of enclosing agricultural land within the fortified area of the city?
Discuss the picture of urban centres that emerges from Bernier’s account.
What do you think was the significance of the rituals associated with the mahanavami dibba?
Discuss the ways in which panchayats and village headmen regulated rural society.
Analyse the evidence for slavery provided by Ibn Battuta.
Describe the process of manuscript production in the Mughal court.
What have been the methods used to study the ruins of Hampi over the last two centuries? In what way do you think they would have complemented the information provided by the priests of the Virupaksha temple?
What were the elements of the practice of sati that drew the attention of Bernier?
Compare and contrast the perspectives from which Ibn Battuta and Bernier wrote their accounts of their travels in India.
Discuss whether the term “royal centre” is an appropriate description for the part of the city for which it is used.
Identify the elements that went into the making of the Mughal ideal of kingship.