Bhakti-Sufi Traditions: Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts
Class 12 · History · 22 Questions
Do you think Tondaradippodi was opposed to the caste system?
List the ways in which Karaikkal Ammaiyar depicts herself as presenting a contrast to traditional notions of feminine beauty.
Why do you think kings were interested in proclaiming their connections with bhaktas?
Who were the people from whom Akbar anticipated opposition to his order?
Identify the deity worshipped by the Jogi. Describe the attitude of the emperor towards the Jogi.
Find out more about the architecture of mosques in your village or town. What are the materials used to build mosques? Are these locally available? Are there any distinctive architectural features?
What are the gestures that Jahanara records to indicate her devotion to the Shaikh? How does she suggest that the dargah was a special place?
What are the potential sources of conflict in the relationship between religious and political leaders?
What aspects of the relationship between the sufis and the state do you think are best illustrated in this account? What does the account tell us about the modes of communication between the Shaikh and his disciples?
What does this indicate about Mirabai's attitude towards the king?
Why do you think the traditions of Kabir, Baba Guru Nanak and Mirabai remain significant in the twenty-first century?
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?
What were the similarities and differences between the be-shari'a and ba-shari'a sufi traditions?
Discuss the ways in which the Alvars, Nayanars and Virashaivas expressed critiques of the caste system.
Describe the major teachings of either Kabir or Baba Guru Nanak, and the ways in which these have been transmitted.
Discuss the major beliefs and practices that characterised Sufism.
Examine how and why rulers tried to establish connections with the traditions of the Nayanars and the sufis.
Analyse, with illustrations, why bhakti and sufi thinkers adopted a variety of languages in which to express their opinions.
Read any five of the sources included in this chapter and discuss the social and religious ideas that are expressed in them.