Read any five of the sources included in this chapter and discuss the social and religious ideas that are expressed in them.
The period of the Bhakti Movement and Sufi Movement also has many sources that contribute to the history of those days. Some of the major social and religious ideas expressed in the various sources of history are as follows:
1. The first is the architecture. The different types of stupas, temple, monasteries all symbolize different types of religious belief system and practices. Some of them exist as it is and enable us to look into the annals of history of those days. Some of them are in the form of ruins but they also throw light on the, religion and society of those days alike.
2. The next important source of history is the composition of the saints both Bhakti and Sufi. In terms of content they are religious but they are not the divine
textbooks of religion that are sacrosanct. The compilation throws light on the life of common men and village lifestyle. They also impact the music and art of
those days.
3. Another very important source of the history of those days is the biographies of the Saints. The biographies include the description of the society and prevalent beliefs and practices. It is notable that such biographies may not be in the written form still they can give insight into the life of those days. It is the story prevalent that I when Kabirdas died, both Hindus and Muslims fought for his dead body later on his body turned into flowers. Some were taken by Muslims and others by Hindus. This represents that there conflict and collaboration between both Hindus and Muslims of those days.
4. This was also the period of rise of religious leaders who were intermediaries between common men and God. Earlier it was only the Brahmins who got this role. Now many people from other background also joined in. To some extent it acted as the the force that idolised equality and fraternity.
5. The other source is the folklore. They are described in our art forms. It may be dance, paintings, and sculpture and so on. They all talk about the universal brotherhood of mankind and love for one and all.
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).
Describe the major teachings of either Kabir or Baba Guru Nanak, and the ways in which these have been transmitted.
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.
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?
What do you think was the significance of the rituals associated with the mahanavami dibba?
What are the problems in using the Ain as a source for reconstructing agrarian history? How do historians deal with this situation?
Assess the role played by women of the imperial household in the Mughal Empire.
What impression of the lives of the ordinary people of Vijayanagara can you cull from the various descriptions in the chapter?
How were the lives of forest dwellers transformed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?
Discuss whether the term “royal centre” is an appropriate description for the part of the city for which it is used.
What were the concerns that shaped Mughal policies and attitudes towards regions outside the subcontinent?
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?
What were the elements of the practice of sati that drew the attention of Bernier?
What do you think were the advantages and disadvantages of enclosing agricultural land within the fortified area of the city?