Bhakti-Sufi Traditions PDF

140 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II Bhakti - Sufi Traditions THEME Changes in Religious Beliefs and SIX De Devvo tional T Tee xts ( c. eighth to e...

140 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II Bhakti - Sufi Traditions THEME Changes in Religious Beliefs and SIX De Devvo tional T Tee xts ( c. eighth to eighteenth century) We saw in Chapter 4 that by the mid-first millennium CE the landscape of the subcontinent was dotted with a variety of religious structures – stupas, monasteries, temples. If these typified certain religious beliefs and practices, others have been reconstructed from textual traditions, including the Puranas, many of which received their present shape around the same time, and yet others remain only faintly visible in textual and visual records. New textual sources available from this period include compositions attributed to poet-saints, most of whom expressed themselves orally in regional languages used by ordinary people. These compositions, which were often set to music, were compiled by disciples or devotees, generally after the death of the poet-saint. What is more, these traditions were fluid – generations of devotees tended to elaborate on the original message, and occasionally modified or even abandoned some of the ideas that appeared problematic or irrelevant in different political, social or cultural contexts. Using these sources thus poses a challenge to historians. Historians also draw on hagiographies or biographies of saints written by their followers (or members of their religious sect). These may not be literally accurate, but allow a glimpse into the ways in which devotees perceived the lives of these path- breaking women and men. As we will see, these sources provide us with insights into a scenario characterised by dynamism and diversity. Let us look at some elements of these more closely. Fig. 6.1 A twelfth-century bronze sculpture of Manikkavachakar, a devotee of Shiva who composed beautiful devotional songs in Tamil 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 141 1. A Mosaic of Religious Beliefs and Practices “Great” and “little” Perhaps the most striking feature of this phase is traditions the increasing visibility of a wide range of gods and The terms great and little goddesses in sculpture as well as in texts. At one traditions were coined by a level, this indicates the continued and even extended sociologist named Robert worship of the major deities – Vishnu, Shiva and Redfield in the twentieth the goddess – each of whom was visualised in a century to describe the cultural variety of forms. practices of peasant societies. He found that peasants 1.1 The integration of cults observed rituals and customs Historians who have tried to understand these that emanated from dominant developments suggest that there were at least two social categories, including processes at work. One was a process of disseminating priests and rulers. These he Brahmanical ideas. This is exemplified by the classified as part of a great composition, compilation and preservation of Puranic tradition. At the same time, texts in simple Sanskrit verse, explicitly meant to peasants also followed local be accessible to women and Shudras, who were practices that did not generally excluded from Vedic learning. At the same necessarily correspond with time, there was a second process at work – that of those of the great tradition. the Brahmanas accepting and reworking the beliefs These he included within the and practices of these and other social categories. In category of little tradition. He fact, many beliefs and practices were shaped through also noticed that both great a continuous dialogue between what sociologists have and little traditions changed described as “great” Sanskritic Puranic traditions over time, through a process of and “little” traditions throughout the land. interaction. One of the most striking examples of this process While scholars accept the significance of these categories is evident at Puri, Orissa, where the principal deity and processes, they are was identified, by the twelfth century, as Jagannatha often uncomfortable with the (literally, the lord of the world), a form of Vishnu. hierarchy suggested by the terms great and little. The use of quotation marks for “great” and “little” is one way of indicating this. Fig. 6.2 Jagannatha (extreme right) with his sister Subhadra (centre) and his brother Balarama (left) 2024-25 142 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II If you compare Fig. 6.2 with Fig. 4.26 (Chapter 4) you will notice that the deity is represented in a very different way. In this instance, a local deity, whose image was and continues to be made of wood by local tribal specialists, was recognised as a form of Vishnu. At the same time, Vishnu was visualised in a way that was very different from that in other parts of the country. Such instances of integration are evident amongst goddess cults as well. Worship of the goddess, often simply in the form of a stone smeared with ochre, was evidently widespread. 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, in other instances, with Parvati, the wife of Shiva. Fig. 6.3 Sculpture of a Buddhist goddess, 1.2 Difference and conflict Marichi (c. tenth century, Bihar), Often associated with the goddess were forms an example of the process of of worship that were classified as Tantric. Tantric integration of different religious practices were widespread in several parts of the beliefs and practices subcontinent – they were open to women and men, and practitioners often ignored differences of caste and class within the ritual context. Many of these ideas influenced Shaivism as well as Buddhism, especially in the eastern, northern and southern parts of the subcontinent. All of these somewhat divergent and even disparate beliefs and practices would come to be classified as Hindu over the course of the next millennium. The divergence is perhaps most stark if we compare Vedic and Puranic traditions. The principal deities of the Vedic pantheon, Agni, Indra and Soma, become marginal figures, rarely visible in textual or visual representations. And while we can catch a glimpse of Vishnu, Shiva and the goddess in Vedic mantras, these have little in common with the elaborate Puranic mythologies. However, in spite of these obvious discrepancies, the Vedas continued to be revered as authoritative. Not surprisingly, there were sometimes conflicts as well – those who valued the Vedic tradition often condemned practices that went beyond the closely regulated contact with the divine through the performance of sacrifices or precisely chanted mantras. On the other hand those engaged in Tantric practices 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 143 frequently ignored the authority of the Vedas. Also, devotees often tended to project their chosen deity, either Vishnu or Shiva, as supreme. Relations with other traditions, such as Buddhism or Jainism, were also often fraught with tension if not open conflict. The traditions of devotion or bhakti need to be located within this context. Devotional worship had a long history of almost a thousand years before Ü Discuss... the period we are considering. During this time, Find out about gods and expressions of devotion ranged from the routine goddesses worshipped in your worship of deities within temples to ecstatic town or village, noting their adoration where devotees attained a trance-like names and the ways in which state. The singing and chanting of devotional they are depicted. Describe compositions was often a part of such modes of the rituals that are worship. This was particularly true of the Vaishnava performed. and Shaiva sects. 2. Poems of Prayer Early Traditions of Bhakti In the course of the evolution of these forms of worship, in many instances, poet-saints emerged as leaders around whom there developed a community of devotees. Further, while Brahmanas remained important intermediaries between gods and devotees in several forms of bhakti, these traditions also accommodated and acknowledged women and the “lower castes”, categories considered ineligible for liberation within the orthodox Brahmanical framework. What also characterised traditions of bhakti was a remarkable diversity. At a different level, historians of religion often classify bhakti traditions into two broad categories: saguna (with attributes) and nirguna (without attributes). The former included traditions that focused on the worship of specific deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars (incarnations) and forms of the goddess or Devi, all often conceptualised in anthropomorphic forms. Nirguna bhakti on the other hand was worship of an abstract form of god. 2.1 The Alvars and Nayanars of Tamil Nadu Some of the earliest bhakti movements (c. sixth century) were led by the Alvars (literally, those who are “immersed” in devotion to Vishnu) and Nayanars (literally, leaders who were devotees of Shiva). They travelled from place to place singing hymns in Tamil in praise of their gods. 2024-25 144 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II Source 1 During their travels the Alvars and Nayanars The chaturvedin (Brahmana identified certain shrines as abodes of their chosen versed in the four Vedas) deities. Very often large temples were later built at and the “outcaste” these sacred places. These developed as centres of pilgrimage. Singing compositions of these poet-saints This is an excerpt from a became part of temple rituals in these shrines, as composition of an Alvar named did worship of the saints’ images. Tondaradippodi, who was a 2.2 Attitudes towards caste Brahmana: Some historians suggest that the Alvars and You (Vishnu) manifestly like Nayanars initiated a movement of protest against those “servants” who express the caste system and the dominance of Brahmanas their love for your feet, or at least attempted to reform the system. To some though they may be born extent this is corroborated by the fact that bhaktas outcastes, more than hailed from diverse social backgrounds ranging from the Chaturvedins who are Brahmanas to artisans and cultivators and even strangers and without from castes considered “untouchable”. allegiance to your service. The importance of the traditions of the Alvars and Nayanars was sometimes indicated by the claim that their compositions were as important Ü Do you think as the Vedas. For instance, one of the major Tondaradippodi was opposed to the caste anthologies of compositions by the Alvars, the Nalayira system? Divyaprabandham, was frequently described as the Tamil Veda, thus claiming that the text was as significant as the four Vedas in Sanskrit that were cherished by the Brahmanas. 2.3 Women devotees Source 2 Perhaps one of the most striking features of these Shastras or devotion? traditions was the presence of women. For instance, the compositions of Andal, a woman Alvar, were This is a verse composed by widely sung (and continue to be sung to date). Andal Appar, a Nayanar saint: saw herself as the beloved of Vishnu; her verses express her love for the deity. Another woman, O rogues who quote the law Karaikkal Ammaiyar, a devotee of Shiva, adopted books, the path of extreme asceticism in order to attain Of what use are your gotra and kula? Just bow to Marperu’s lord (Shiva who resides in Marperu, in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu) as your sole refuge. Compilations of devotional literature By the tenth century the compositions of the 12 Alvars were Ü Are there any compiled in an anthology known as the Nalayira similarities or differences Divyaprabandham (“Four Thousand Sacred Compositions”). in the attitudes of The poems of Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar form Tondaradippodi and Appar the Tevaram, a collection that was compiled and classified towards Brahmanas? in the tenth century on the basis of the music of the songs. 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 145 her goal. Her compositions were preserved within the Nayanar tradition. These women renounced their social obligations, but did not join an alternative order or become nuns. Their very existence and their compositions posed a challenge to patriarchal norms. Source 3 A demon? This is an excerpt from a poem by Karaikkal Ammaiyar in which she describes herself: The female Pey (demoness) with... bulging veins, protruding eyes, white teeth and shrunken stomach, red haired and jutting teeth lengthy shins extending till the ankles, shouts and wails while wandering in the forest. This is the forest of Alankatu, which is the home of our father (Shiva) who dances … with his matted hair thrown in all eight directions, and with cool limbs. Ü List the ways in which Karaikkal Ammaiyar depicts herself as presenting a contrast to Fig. 6.4 traditional notions of feminine beauty. A twelfth-century bronze image of Karaikkal Ammaiyar 2.4 Relations with the state We saw in Chapter 2 that there wer e several important chiefdoms in the Tamil region in the early first millennium CE. From the second half of the first millennium there is evidence for states, including those of the Pallavas and Pandyas (c. sixth to ninth centuries CE ). While Buddhism and Jainism had been prevalent in this region for several centuries, drawing support from merchant and artisan communities, these religious traditions received occasional royal patronage. Interestingly, one of the major themes in Tamil bhakti hymns is the poets’ opposition to Buddhism and Jainism. This is particularly marked in the 2024-25 146 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II compositions of the Nayanars. Historians have attempted to explain this hostility by suggesting that it was due to competition between members of other religious traditions for royal patronage. What is evident is that the powerful Chola rulers (ninth to thirteenth centuries) supported Brahmanical and bhakti traditions, making land grants and constructing temples for Vishnu and Shiva. In fact, some of the most magnificent Shiva temples, including those at Chidambaram, Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram, were constructed under the patronage of Chola rulers. This was also the period when some of the most spectacular representations of Shiva in bronze sculpture were produced. Clearly, the visions of the Nayanars inspired artists. Both Nayanars and Alvars were revered by the Vellala peasants. Not surprisingly, rulers tried to win their support as well. The Chola kings, for Fig. 6.5 instance, often attempted to claim divine support An image of Shiva as Nataraja and proclaim their own power and status by building splendid temples that were adorned with stone and metal sculpture to recreate the visions of these popular saints who sang in the language of the people. These kings also introduced the singing of Tamil Shaiva hymns in the temples under royal patronage, taking the initiative to collect and organise them into a text (Tevaram). Further, inscriptional evidence from around 945 suggests that the Chola ruler Parantaka I had consecrated metal images of Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar in a Shiva temple. These were carried in processions during the festivals of these saints. Ü Discuss... Why do you think kings were interested in proclaiming their connections with bhaktas? 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 147 3. The Virashaiva Tradition in Karnataka The twelfth century witnessed the emergence of a new movement in Karnataka, led by a Brahmana named Basavanna (1106-68) who was a minister in the court of a Kalachuri ruler. His followers were Source 4 known as Virashaivas (heroes of Shiva) or Lingayats Rituals and the (wearers of the linga). Lingayats continue to be an important community real world in the region to date. They worship Shiva in his manifestation as a linga, and men usually wear a Here is a vachana composed small linga in a silver case on a loop strung over the by Basavanna: left shoulder. Those who are revered include the When they see a serpent jangama or wandering monks. Lingayats believe carved in stone they pour that on death the devotee will be united with Shiva milk on it. and will not return to this world. Therefore they do If a real serpent comes they not practise funerary rites such as cremation, say: “Kill. Kill.” prescribed in the Dharmashastras. Instead, they To the servant of the god who ceremonially bury their dead. could eat if served they say: The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and “Go away! Go away!” the “pollution” attributed to certain groups by But to the image of the god Brahmanas. They also questioned the theory of which cannot eat they offer rebirth. These won them followers amongst those dishes of food. who were marginalised within the Brahmanical social order. The Lingayats also encouraged certain Ü Describe Basavanna’s practices disapproved in the Dharmashastras, attitude towards rituals. such as post-puberty marriage and the remarriage How does he attempt to of widows. Our understanding of the Virashaiva convince the listener? tradition is derived from vachanas (literally, sayings) composed in Kannada by women and men who joined the movement. New religious developments This period also witnessed two major developments. On the one hand, many ideas of the Tamil bhaktas (especially the Vaishnavas) were incorporated within the Sanskritic tradition, culminating in the composition of one of the best-known Puranas, the Bhagavata Purana. Second, we find the development of traditions of bhakti in Maharashtra in the thirteenth century. 2024-25 148 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II 4. Religious Ferment in North India During the same period, in north India deities such as Vishnu and Shiva were worshipped in temples, often built with the support of rulers. However, historians have not found evidence of anything resembling the compositions of the Alvars and Nayanars till the fourteenth century. How do we account for this difference? Some historians point out that in north India this was the period when several Rajput states emerged. In most of these states Brahmanas occupied positions of importance, performing a range of secular and ritual functions. There seems to have been little or no attempt to challenge their position directly. At the same time other religious leaders, who did not function within the orthodox Brahmanical framework, were gaining ground. These included the Naths, Jogis and Siddhas. Many of them came from artisanal groups, including weavers, who were becoming increasingly important with the development of organised craft production. Demand for such production grew with the emergence of new urban centres, and long-distance trade with Central Asia and West Asia. Many of these new religious leaders questioned the Fig. 6.6 authority of the Vedas, and Fragment of a page from the expressed themselves in languages spoken by ordinary Qur’an, belonging to a people, which developed over centuries into the ones manuscript dating to the used today. However, in spite of their popularity these eighth or ninth century religious leaders were not in a position to win the support of the ruling elites. A new element in this situation was the coming of the Turks which culminated in the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate (thirteenth century). This undermined the power of many of the Rajput states and the Brahmanas who were associated with these kingdoms. This was accompanied by marked changes in the realm of culture and religion. The coming of the sufis (Section 6) was a significant part of these developments. 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 149 5. New Strands in the Fabric Islamic Traditions Just as the regions within the subcontinent were not isolated from one another, so too, contact with lands beyond the seas and mountains had existed for millennia. Arab merchants, for instance, frequented ports along the western coast in the first millennium CE , while Central Asian people settled in the north-western parts of the subcontinent during the same period. From the seventh century, with the advent of Islam, these regions became part of what is often termed the Islamic world. 5.1 Faiths of rulers and subjects One axis of understanding the significance of these Ulama (plural of alim, or one connections that is frequently adopted is to focus on who knows) are scholars of the religions of ruling elites. In 711 an Arab general Islamic studies. As preservers of named Muhammad Qasim conquered Sind, which this tradition they perform became part of the Caliph’s domain. Later (c. thirteenth various religious, juridical and century) the Turks and Afghans established the teaching functions. Delhi Sultanate. This was followed by the formation of Sultanates in the Deccan and other parts of the subcontinent; Islam was an acknowledged religion of rulers in several areas. This continued with the establishment of the Mughal Empire in the sixteenth century as well as in many of the regional states that emerged in the eighteenth century. Theoretically, Muslim rulers were to be guided by the ulama, who were expected to ensure that they ruled according to the shari‘a. Clearly, the situation Shari‘a was complicated in the subcontinent, where there The shari‘a is the law governing were populations that did not subscribe to Islam. the Muslim community. It is It is in this context that the category of the zimmi, based on the Qur’an and the meaning protected (derived from the Arabic word hadis, traditions of the Prophet zimma, protection) developed for people who followed including a record of his revealed scriptures, such as the Jews and Christians, remembered words and deeds. and lived under Muslim rulership. They paid a tax With the expansion of Islamic called jizya and gained the right to be protected by rule outside Arabia, in areas Muslims. In India this status was extended to Hindus where customs and traditions as well. As you will see (Chapter 9), rulers such as were different, qiyas (reasoning the Mughals came to regard themselves as emperors by analogy) and ijma of not just Muslims but of all peoples. (consensus of the community) In effect, rulers often adopted a fairly flexible policy were recognised as two other towards their subjects. For instance, several rulers sources of legislation. Thus, the gave land endowments and granted tax exemptions shari‘a evolved from the to Hindu, Jaina, Zoroastrian, Christian and Jewish Qur’an, hadis, qiyas and ijma. religious institutions and also expressed respect and 2024-25 150 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II devotion towards non-Muslim religious leaders. These grants were made by several Mughal rulers, including Akbar and Aurangzeb. Source 5 A church in Khambat Fig. 6.7 This is an excerpt from a farman (imperial order) issued A Mughal painting depicting by Akbar in 1598: Emperor Jahangir with a Jogi Whereas it reached our eminent and holy notice that the padris (fathers) of the Holy Society of Jesus wish to build a house of prayer (church) in the city of Kambayat (Khambat, in Gujarat); 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. Ü Who were the people from whom Akbar anticipated opposition to his order? Source 6 Reverence for the Jogi Here is an excerpt from a letter written by Aurangzeb to a Jogi in 1661-62: The possessor of the sublime station, Shiv Murat, Guru Anand Nath Jio! May your Reverence remain in peace and happiness ever under the protection of Sri Shiv Jio! … A piece of cloth for the cloak and a sum of twenty five rupees which have been sent as an offering will reach (Your Reverence) … Your Reverence may write to us whenever there is any service which can be rendered by us. Ü Identify the deity worshipped by the Jogi. Describe the attitude of the emperor towards the Jogi. 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 151 5.2 The popular practice of Islam The developments that followed the coming of Islam were not confined to ruling elites; in fact they permeated far and wide, through the subcontinent, amongst different social strata – peasants, artisans, warriors, merchants, to name a few. All those who adopted Islam accepted, in principle, the five “pillars” of the faith: that there is one God, Allah, and Prophet Muhammad is his messenger (shahada); offering prayers five times a day (namaz/salat ); giving alms (zakat); fasting during the month of Ramzan (sawm ); and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj ). However, these universal features were often overlaid with diversities in practice derived from sectarian affiliations (Sunni, Shi‘a), and the influence of local customary practices of converts from different social milieus. For example, the Khojahs, a branch Fig. 6.8 of the Ismailis (a Shi‘a sect), developed new modes A Khojaki manuscript of communication, disseminating ideas derived from The ginan were transmitted the Qur’an through indigenous literary genres. These orally before being recorded in the Khojaki script that was derived included the ginan (derived from the Sanskrit jnana, from the local landa (“clipped” meaning “knowledge”), devotional poems in Punjabi, mercantile script) used by the Multani, Sindhi, Kachchi, Hindi and Gujarati, sung linguistically diverse community in special ragas during daily prayer meetings. of Khojahs in the Punjab, Sind Elsewhere, Arab Muslim traders who settled and Gujarat. along the Malabar coast (Kerala) adopted the local language, Malayalam. They also adopted Matrilocal residence is a local customs such as matriliny (Chapter 3) and practice where women after matrilocal residence. marriage remain in their natal The complex blend of a universal faith with local home with their children and traditions is perhaps best exemplified in the the husbands may come to stay architecture of mosques. Some architectural features with them. Fig. 6.9 A mosque in Kerala, c. thirteenth century Note the shikhara-like roof. 2024-25 152 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II of mosques are universal – such as their orientation towards Mecca, evident in the placement of the mihrab (prayer niche) and the minbar (pulpit). However, there are several features that show variations – such as roofs and building materials (see Figs. 6.9, 6.10 and 6.11). 5.3 Names for communities We often take the terms Hindu and Muslim for granted, as labels for religious communities. Yet, these terms did not gain currency for a very Fig. 6.10 long time. Historians who have studied Atiya mosque, Mymensingh district, Sanskrit texts and inscriptions dating Bangladesh, built with brick, 1609 between the eighth and fourteenth centuries point out that the term musalman or Muslim was virtually never used. Instead, people were occasionally identified in terms of the region from which they came. So, the Turkish rulers were designated as Turushka, Tajika were people from Tajikistan and Parashika were people from Persia. Sometimes, terms used for other peoples were applied to the new migrants. For instance, the Turks and Afghans were referred to as Shakas (Chapters 2 and 3) and Yavanas (a term used for Greeks). Fig. 6.11 A more general term for these migrant The Shah Hamadan mosque in communities was mlechchha, indicating that they did Srinagar, on the banks of the not observe the norms of caste society and spoke Jhelum, is often regarded as the languages that were not derived from Sanskrit. Such “jewel in the crown” of all the terms sometimes had a derogatory connotation, but they existing mosques of Kashmir. rarely denoted a distinct religious community of Muslims Built in 1395, it is one of the best examples of Kashmiri wooden in opposition to Hindus. And as we saw (Chapter 5), architecture. Notice the spire and the term “Hindu” was used in a variety of ways, not the beautifully carved eaves. It is necessarily restricted to a religious connotation. decorated with papier mache. Ü Discuss... 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? 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 153 6. The Growth of Sufism In the early centuries of Islam a group of religious- Sufism and tasawwuf minded people called sufis turned to asceticism and Sufism is an English word mysticism in protest against the growing materialism coined in the nineteenth of the Caliphate as a religious and political institution. century. The word used for They were critical of the dogmatic definitions and Sufism in Islamic texts is scholastic methods of interpreting the Qur’an and sunna tasawwuf. Historians have (traditions of the Prophet) adopted by theologians. understood this term in Instead, they laid emphasis on seeking salvation several ways. According to through intense devotion and love for God by following some scholars, it is derived His commands, and by following the example of the from suf, meaning wool, Prophet Muhammad whom they regarded as a perfect referring to the coarse human being. The sufis thus sought an interpretation woollen clothes worn by of the Qur’an on the basis of their personal experience. sufis. Others derive it from safa, meaning purity. It may 6.1 Khanqahs and silsilas also have been derived from By the eleventh century Sufism evolved into a well- suffa, the platform outside developed movement with a body of literature on the Prophet’s mosque, Quranic studies and sufi practices. Institutionally, where a group of close the sufis began to organise communities around the followers assembled to learn hospice or khanqah (Persian) controlled by a teaching about the faith. master known as shaikh (in Arabic), pir or murshid (in Persian). He enrolled disciples (murids) and appointed a successor (khalifa). He established rules for spiritual conduct and interaction between inmates as well as between laypersons and the master. Sufi silsilas began to crystallise in different parts of the Islamic world around the twelfth century. The word silsila literally means a chain, signifying a continuous link between master and disciple, stretching as an unbroken spiritual genealogy to the Prophet Muhammad. It was through this channel that spiritual power and blessings were transmitted to devotees. Special rituals of initiation were developed in which initiates took an oath of allegiance, wore a patched garment, and shaved Names of silsilas their hair. Most sufi lineages were When the shaikh died, his tomb-shrine (dargah, a named after a founding Persian term meaning court) became the centre of figure. For example, the devotion for his followers. This encouraged the practice Qadiri order was named of pilgrimage or ziyarat to his grave, particularly on after Shaikh Abd’ul Qadir his death anniversary or urs (or marriage, signifying Jilani. However, some like the union of his soul with God). This was because the Chishti order, were people believed that in death saints were united with named after their place God, and were thus closer to Him than when living. of origin, in this case the People sought their blessings to attain material and town of Chisht in central spiritual benefits. Thus evolved the cult of the shaikh Afghanistan. revered as wali. 2024-25 154 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II Wali (plural auliya) or friend of 6.2 Outside the khanqah God was a sufi who claimed Some mystics initiated movements based on a proximity to Allah, acquiring radical interpretation of sufi ideals. Many scorned His Grace (barakat) to perform the khanqah and took to mendicancy and observed miracles (karamat). celibacy. They ignored rituals and observed extreme forms of asceticism. They were known by different names – Qalandars, Madaris, Malangs, Haidaris, etc. Because of their deliberate defiance of the shari‘a Ü Discuss... they were often referred to as be-shari‘a, in contrast Are there any khanqahs or to the ba-shari‘a sufis who complied with it. dargahs in your town or village? Find out when these were built, and what are the 7. The Chishtis in the activities associated with Subcontinent them. Are there other places Of the groups of sufis who migrated to India in where religious men and the late twelfth century, the Chishtis were the women meet or live? most influential. This was because they adapted successfully to the local environment and adopted several features of Indian devotional traditions. 7.1 Life in the Chishti khanqah The khanqah was the centre of social life. We know about Shaikh Nizamuddin’s hospice (c. fourteenth century) on the banks of the river Yamuna in Ghiyaspur, on the outskirts of what was then the city of Delhi. It comprised several small rooms and a big hall ( jama’at khana) where the inmates and visitors lived and prayed. The inmates included family members of the Shaikh, his attendants and disciples. The Shaikh lived in a small room on the roof of the hall where he met visitors in the morning and evening. A veranda surrounded the courtyard, and a boundary wall ran around the complex. On one occasion, fearing a Mongol invasion, people from the neighbouring areas flocked into the khanqah to seek refuge. MAJOR TEACHERS OF THE CHISHTI SILSILA SUFI TEACHERS YEAR OF DEATH LOCATION OF DARGAH Shaikh Muinuddin Sijzi 1235 Ajmer (Rajasthan) Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki 1235 Delhi Shaikh Fariduddin Ganj-i Shakar 1265 Ajodhan (Pakistan) Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya 1325 Delhi Shaikh Nasiruddin Chiragh-i Dehli 1356 Delhi 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 155 There was an open kitchen (langar), run on futuh (unasked-for charity). From morning till late night The story of people from all walks of life – soldiers, slaves, singers, merchants, poets, travellers, rich and Data Ganj Bakhsh poor, Hindu jogis (yogi) and qalandars – came In 1039 Abu’l Hasan al Hujwiri, seeking discipleship, amulets for healing, and the a native of Hujwir near Ghazni intercession of the Shaikh in various matters. Other in Afghanistan, was forced to visitors included poets such as Amir Hasan Sijzi cross the Indus as a captive of and Amir Khusrau and the court historian Ziyauddin the invading Turkish army. He settled in Lahore and wrote a Barani, all of whom wrote about the Shaikh. book in Persian called the Kashf- Practices that were adopted, including bowing before ul-Mahjub (Unveiling of the the Shaikh, offering water to visitors, shaving the Veiled) to explain the meaning heads of initiates, and yogic exercises, represented of tasawwuf , and those who attempts to assimilate local traditions. practised it, that is, the sufi. Shaikh Nizamuddin appointed several spiritual Hujwiri died in 1073 and was successors and deputed them to set up hospices in buried in Lahore. The grandson various parts of the subcontinent. As a result the of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni teachings, practices and organisation of the Chishtis constructed a tomb over his as well as the fame of the Shaikh spread rapidly. grave, and this tomb-shrine This in turn drew pilgrims to his shrine, and also to became a site of pilgrimage for the shrines of his spiritual ancestors. his devotees, especially on his death anniversary. 7.2 Chishti devotionalism: ziyarat and qawwali Even today Hujwiri is revered Pilgrimage, called ziyarat, to tombs of sufi saints is as Data Ganj Bakhsh or “Giver prevalent all over the Muslim world. This practice who bestows treasures” and his is an occasion for seeking the sufi’s spiritual grace mausoleum is called Data (barakat). For more than seven centuries people of Darbar or “Court of the Giver”. various creeds, classes and social backgrounds have expressed their devotion at the dargahs of the five great Chishti saints (see chart on p.154). Amongst these, the most revered shrine is that of Khwaja Muinuddin, popularly known as “Gharib Nawaz” (comforter of the poor). The earliest textual references to Khwaja Muinuddin’s dargah date to the fourteenth century. It was evidently popular because of the austerity and piety of its Shaikh, the greatness of his spiritual successors, and the patronage of royal visitors. Muhammad bin Tughlaq (ruled, 1324-51) was the Fig. 6.12 A seventeenth-century painting of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya and his disciple Amir Khusrau Ü Describe how the artist differentiates between the Shaikh and his disciple. 2024-25 156 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II first Sultan to visit the shrine, but the earliest construction to house the tomb was funded in the late fifteenth century by Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji of Malwa. Since the shrine was located on the trade route linking Delhi and Gujarat, it attracted a lot of travellers. By the sixteenth century the shrine had become very popular; in fact it was the spirited singing of pilgrims bound for Ajmer that inspired Akbar to visit the tomb. He went there fourteen times, sometimes two or three times a year, to seek blessings for new conquests, fulfilment of vows, and the birth of sons. He maintained this tradition until 1580. Each of these visits was celebrated by generous gifts, which were recorded in imperial documents. For example, in 1568 he offered a huge cauldron (degh) to facilitate cooking for pilgrims. He also had a mosque constructed within the compound of the dargah. Fig. 6.13 Shaikhs greeting the Mughal emperor Jahangir on his pilgrimage to Ajmer, painting by an artist named Manohar, c.1615 Ü Find his signature on the painting. 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 157 Source 7 The pilgrimage of the Mughal princess The lamp of the Jahanara, 1643 entire land Each sufi shrine was associated The following is an excerpt from Jahanara’s biography with distinctive features. This is of Shaikh Muinuddin Chishti, titled Munis al Arwah what an eighteenth-century (The Confidant of Spirits): visitor from the Deccan, Dargah After praising the one God … this lowly faqira Quli Khan, wrote about the (humble soul) Jahanara... went from the capital shrine of Nasiruddin Chiragh-i Agra in the company of my great father (Emperor Dehli in his Muraqqa-i Dehli Shah Jahan) towards the pure region of (Album of Delhi): incomparable Ajmer … I was committed to this idea, The Shaikh (in the grave) that every day in every station I would perform two is not the lamp of Delhi cycles of optional prayer … but of the entire country. For several days... I did not sleep on a leopard skin People turn up there in at night, I did not extend my feet in the direction of the crowds, particularly on blessed sanctuary of the revered saving master, and I Sunday. In the month did not turn my back towards him. I passed the days of Diwali the entire beneath the trees. population of Delhi visits On Thursday, the fourth of the blessed month of it and stays in tents Ramzan, I attained the happiness of pilgrimage to the around the spring tank for illuminated and the perfumed tomb … With an hour of days. They take baths to daylight remaining, I went to the holy sanctuary and obtain cures from chronic rubbed my pale face with the dust of that threshold. diseases. Muslims and From the doorway to the blessed tomb I went barefoot, Hindus pay visits in the kissing the ground. Having entered the dome, I went same spirit. From morning around the light-filled tomb of my master seven times till evening people come … Finally, with my own hand I put the finest quality of and also make themselves itar on the perfumed tomb of the revered one, and busy in merrymaking in having taken off the rose scarf that I had on my head, I placed it on the top of the blessed tomb... the shade of the trees. Ü 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? Also part of ziyarat is the use of music and dance including mystical chants performed by specially trained musicians or qawwals to evoke divine ecstasy. The sufis remember God either by reciting the zikr (the Divine Names) or evoking His Presence through sama‘ (literally, “audition”) or performance of mystical music. Sama‘ was integral to the Chishtis, and exemplified interaction with indigenous devotional traditions. 2024-25 158 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II 7.3 Languages and communication It was not just in sama‘ that the Chishtis adopted Amir Khusrau and local languages. In Delhi, those associated with the qaul the Chishti silsila conversed in Hindavi, the language Amir Khusrau (1253-1325), the of the people. Other sufis such as Baba Farid great poet, musician and disciple composed verses in the local language, which were of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya, incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib. Yet others gave a unique form to the Chishti composed long poems or masnavis to express ideas sama‘ by introducing the qaul of divine love using human love as an allegory. For (Arabic word meaning “saying”), example, the prem-akhyan (love story) Padmavat a hymn sung at the opening or composed by Malik Muhammad Jayasi revolved closing of qawwali. This was around the romance of Padmini and Ratansen, the followed by sufi poetry in Persian, king of Chittor. Their trials were symbolic of the soul’s Hindavi or Urdu, and sometimes journey to the divine. Such poetic compositions were using words from all of these often recited in hospices, usually during sama‘. languages. Qawwals (those who A different genre of sufi poetry was composed in sing these songs) at the shrine of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya always and around the town of Bijapur, Karnataka. These start their recital with the qaul. were short poems in Dakhani (a variant of Urdu) Today qawwali is performed in attributed to Chishti sufis who lived in this region shrines all over the subcontinent. during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These poems were probably sung by women while performing household chores like grinding grain and spinning. Other compositions were in the form of lurinama or lullabies and shadinama or wedding songs. It is likely that the sufis of this region were inspired by the pre-existing bhakti tradition of the Kannada vachanas of the Lingayats and the Marathi abhangs of the sants of Pandharpur. It is through this medium that Islam gradually gained a place in the villages of the Deccan. Source 8 Charkhanama Fig. 6.14 Qawwali at the dargah of Nizamuddin Auliya A song set to the rhythm of the spinning wheel: As you take the cotton, you do zikr-i jali As you separate the cotton you should do zikr-i qalbi And as you spool the thread you should do zikr-i aini Zikr should be uttered from the stomach through the chest, Ü In what ways are the ideas And threaded through the throat. and modes of expression used The threads of breath should be counted one by one, in this song similar to or oh sister. different from those used by Up to twenty four thousand. Jahanara to describe her Do this day and night, ziyarat (Source 7)? And offer this to your pir as a gift. 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 159 7.4 Sufis and the state A major feature of the Chishti tradition was austerity, including maintaining a distance from worldly power. However, this was by no means a situation of absolute isolation from political power. The sufis accepted unsolicited grants and donations from the political elites. The Sultans in turn set up charitable trusts (auqaf ) as endowments for hospices and granted tax-free land (inam). The Chishtis accepted donations in cash and kind. Rather than accumulate donations, they preferred to use these fully on immediate requirements such as food, clothes, living quarters and ritual necessities (such as sama‘ ). All this enhanced the moral authority of the shaikhs, which in turn attracted people from all walks of life. Further, their piety and scholarship, and people’s belief in their miraculous powers made sufis popular among the masses, whose support kings wished to secure. Kings did not simply need to demonstrate their association with sufis; they also required legitimation from them. When the Turks set up the Delhi Sultanate, they resisted the insistence of the ulama on imposing shari‘a as state law because they anticipated opposition from their subjects, the majority of whom were non-Muslims. The Sultans then sought out the sufis – who derived their authority directly from God – and did not depend on jurists to interpret the shari‘a. Besides, it was believed that the auliya could intercede with God in order to improve the material Sufis and the state and spiritual conditions of ordinary human beings. This explains why kings often wanted their tombs to Other sufis such as the be in the vicinity of sufi shrines and hospices. Suhrawardi under the Delhi Sultans and the Naqshbandi However, there were instances of conflict between under the Mughals were also the Sultans and the sufis. To assert their authority, associated with the state. both expected that certain rituals be performed such However, the modes of their as prostration and kissing of the feet. Occasionally association were not the same the sufi shaikh was addressed with high-sounding as those of the Chishtis. In titles. For example, the disciples of Nizamuddin some cases, sufis accepted Auliya addressed him as sultan-ul-mashaikh (literally, courtly offices. Sultan amongst shaikhs). 2024-25 160 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II Source 9 Ü Discuss... Declining a royal gift What are the potential sources of conflict in the This excerpt from a sufi text describes the proceedings at relationship between religious Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya’s hospice in 1313: and political leaders? I (the author, Amir Hasan Sijzi) had the good fortune of kissing his (Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya’s) feet … At this time a local ruler had sent him the deed of ownership to two gardens and much land, along with the provisions and tools for their maintenance. The ruler had also made it clear that Ü What aspects of the he was relinquishing all his rights to both the relationship between the sufis gardens and land. The master … had not accepted and the state do you think are that gift. Instead, he had lamented: “What have I to best illustrated in this account? do with gardens and fields and lands? … None of … What does the account tell us our spiritual masters had engaged in such activity.” about the modes of Then he told an appropriate story: “… Sultan communication between the Ghiyasuddin, who at that time was still known as Shaikh and his disciples? Ulugh Khan, came to visit Shaikh Fariduddin (and) offered some money and ownership deeds for four Fig. 6.15 villages to the Shaikh, the money being for the benefit The dargah of Shaikh Salim Chishti of the dervishes (sufis), and the land for his use. (a direct descendant of Baba Farid) Smiling, Shaikh al Islam (Fariduddin) said: ‘Give me constructed in Fatehpur Sikri, the money. I will dispense it to the dervishes. But as Akbar’s capital, symbolised the for those land deeds, keep them. There are many who bond between the Chishtis and the long for them. Give them away to such persons.’” Mughal state. 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 161 8. New Devotional Paths Source 10 Dialogue and Dissent in The One Lord Northern India Many poet-saints engaged in explicit and implicit Here is a composition attributed dialogue with these new social situations, ideas and to Kabir: institutions. Let us now see how this dialogue found Tell me, brother, how can expression. We focus here on three of the most there be influential figures of the time. No one lord of the world 8.1 Weaving a divine fabric: Kabir but two? Kabir (c. fourteenth-fifteenth centuries) is perhaps Who led you so astray? one of the most outstanding examples of a poet-saint God is called by many names: who emerged within this context. Historians have painstakingly tried to reconstruct his life and times Names like Allah, Ram, Karim, Keshav, Hari, and Hazrat. through a study of compositions attributed to him as well as later hagiographies. Such exercises have Gold may be shaped into proved to be challenging on a number of counts. rings and bangles. Verses ascribed to Kabir have been compiled in Isn’t it gold all the same? three distinct but overlapping traditions. The Kabir Distinctions are only words Bijak is preserved by the Kabirpanth (the path or we invent … sect of Kabir) in Varanasi and elsewhere in Uttar Kabir says they are both Pradesh; the Kabir Granthavali is associated with mistaken. the Dadupanth in Rajasthan, and many of his Neither can find the only compositions are found in the Adi Granth Sahib (see Ram. One kills the goat, the Section 8.2). All these manuscript compilations other cows. were made long after the death of Kabir. By the They waste their lives in nineteenth century, anthologies of verses attributed disputation. to him circulated in print in regions as far apart as Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Kabir’s poems have survived in several languages Ü What is Kabir’s and dialects; and some are composed in the special argument against the language of nirguna poets, the sant bhasha. Others, distinction made between gods of known as ulatbansi (upside-down sayings), are different communities? written in a form in which everyday meanings are inverted. These hint at the difficulties of capturing the nature of the Ultimate Reality in words: expressions such as “the lotus which blooms without flower” or the “fire raging in the ocean” convey a sense of Kabir’s mystical experiences. Also striking is the range of traditions Kabir drew on to describe the Ultimate Reality. These include Islam: he described the Ultimate Reality as Allah, Khuda, Hazrat and Pir. He also used terms drawn from Vedantic traditions, alakh (the unseen), nirakar (formless), Brahman, Atman, etc. Other terms with mystical connotations such as shabda (sound) or shunya (emptiness) were drawn from yogic traditions. 2024-25 162 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II Diverse and sometimes conflicting ideas are expressed in these poems. Some poems draw on Islamic ideas and use monotheism and iconoclasm to attack Hindu polytheism and idol worship; others use the sufi concept of zikr and ishq (love) to express the Hindu practice of nam-simaran (remembrance of God’s name). Were all these composed by Kabir? We may never be able to tell with certainty, although scholars have tried to analyse the language, style and content to establish which verses could be Kabir’s. What this Fig. 6.16 rich corpus of verses also signifies is that Kabir was Roadside musicians, a seventeenth- and is to the present a source of inspiration for century Mughal painting those who questioned entrenched religious and It is likely that the compositions of the sants were sung by social institutions, ideas and practices in their such musicians. search for the Divine. Just as Kabir’s ideas probably crystallised through dialogue and debate (explicit or implicit) with the traditions of sufis and yogis in the region of Awadh (part of present-day Uttar Pradesh), his legacy was claimed by several groups, who remembered him and continue to do so. This is most evident in later debates about whether he was a Hindu or a Muslim by birth, debates that are reflected in hagiographies. Many of these were composed from the seventeenth century onwards, about 200 years after Kabir’s lifetime. Hagiographies within the Vaishnava tradition attempted to suggest that he was born a Hindu, Kabirdas (Kabir itself is an Arabic word meaning “great”), but was raised by a poor Muslim family belonging to the community of weavers or julahas, who were relatively recent converts to Islam. They also suggested that he was initiated into bhakti by a guru, perhaps Ramananda. 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 163 However, the verses attributed to Kabir use the words guru and satguru, but do not mention the name of any specific preceptor. Historians have pointed out that it is very difficult to establish that Ramananda and Kabir were contemporaries, without assigning improbably long lives to either or both. So, while traditions linking the two cannot be accepted at face value, they show how important the legacy of Kabir was for later generations. 8.2 Baba Guru Nanak and the Sacred Word Baba Guru Nanak (1469-1539) was born in a Hindu merchant family in a village called Nankana Sahib near the river Ravi in the predominantly Muslim Punjab. He trained to be an accountant and studied Persian. He was married at a young age but he spent most of his time among sufis and bhaktas. He also travelled widely. The message of Baba Guru Nanak is spelt out in his hymns and teachings. These suggest that he advocated a form of nirguna bhakti. He firmly repudiated the external practices of the religions he saw around him. He rejected sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, austerities and the scriptures of both Hindus and Muslims. For Baba Guru Nanak, the Absolute or “rab” had no gender or form. He proposed a simple way to connect to the Divine by remembering and repeating the Divine Name, expressing his ideas through hymns called “shabad” in Punjabi, the language of the region. Baba Guru Nanak would sing these compositions in various ragas while his attendant Mardana played the rabab. Baba Guru Nanak organised his followers into a community. He set up rules for congregational worship (sangat ) involving collective recitation. He appointed one of his disciples, Angad, to succeed him as the preceptor (guru), and this practice was followed for nearly 200 years. It appears that Baba Guru Nanak did not wish to establish a new religion, but after his death his followers consolidated their own practices and distinguished themselves from both Hindus and Muslims. The fifth preceptor, Guru Arjan, compiled Baba Guru Nanak’s hymns along with those of his four successors and other religious poets like Baba Farid, Ravidas (also known as Raidas) and Kabir in the Adi Granth Sahib. These hymns, called “gurbani”, are composed in various 2024-25 164 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II languages. In the late seventeenth century the tenth preceptor, Guru Gobind Singh, included the compositions of the ninth guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, and this scripture was called the Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Gobind Singh also laid the foundation of the Khalsa Panth (army of the pure) and defined its five symbols: uncut hair, a dagger, a pair of shorts, a comb and a steel bangle. Under him the community got consolidated as a socio-religious and military force. 8.3 Mirabai, the devotee princess Mirabai (c. fifteenth-sixteenth centuries) is perhaps the best-known woman poet within the bhakti tradition. Biographies have been reconstructed primarily from the bhajans attributed to her, which were transmitted orally for centuries. According to these, she was a Rajput princess from Merta in Fig. 6.17 Marwar who was married against her wishes to a A fifteenth-century stone sculpture prince of the Sisodia clan of Mewar, Rajasthan. She (Tamil Nadu) depicting Krishna defied her husband and did not submit to the playing the flute, a form of the deity worshipped by Mirabai traditional r ole of wife and mother, instead recognising Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu, as her lover. Her in-laws tried to poison her, but she escaped from the palace to live as a wandering saint composing songs that are characterised by intense expressions of emotion. Source 11 Love for the Lord This is part of a song attributed to Mirabai: I will build a funeral pyre of sandalwood and aloe; Light it by your own hand When I am burned away to cinders; Smear this ash upon your limbs. … let flame be lost in flame. In another verse, she sings: What can Mewar’s ruler do to me? If God is angry, all is lost, But what can the Rana do? Ü What does this indicate about Mirabai’s attitude towards the king? 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 165 According to some traditions, her preceptor was Raidas, a leather worker. This would indicate her defiance of the norms of caste society. After Shankaradeva rejecting the comforts of her husband’s palace, she In the late fifteenth century, is supposed to have donned the white robes of a Shankaradeva emerged as one widow or the saffron robe of the renouncer. of the leading proponents of Although Mirabai did not attract a sect or Vaishnavism in Assam. His group of followers, she has been recognised as a teachings, often known as the Bhagavati dharma because they source of inspiration for centuries. Her songs were based on the Bhagavad continue to be sung by women and men, especially Gita and the Bhagavata Purana, those who are poor and considered “low caste” in focused on absolute surrender Gujarat and Rajasthan. to the supreme deity, in this case Vishnu. He emphasised the need for naam kirtan, recitation of the names of the lord in sat Ü Discuss... sanga or congregations of pious Why do you think the traditions of Kabir, Baba devotees. He also encouraged Guru Nanak and Mirabai remain significant in the establishment of satra or the twenty-first century? monasteries for the transmission of spiritual knowledge, and naam ghar or prayer halls. Many of these institutions and 9. Reconstructing Histories of practices continue to flourish Religious Traditions in the region. His major We have seen that historians draw on a variety compositions include the of sources to reconstruct histories of religious Kirtana-ghosha. traditions – these include sculpture, architecture, stories about religious preceptors, compositions attributed to women and men engaged in the quest of understanding the nature of the Divine. As we have seen in Chapters 1 and 4, sculpture and architecture can only be understood if we have a grasp of the context – the ideas, beliefs and practices of those who produced and used these images and buildings. What about textual traditions regarding religious beliefs? If you return to the sources in this chapter, you will notice that they include a wide variety, written in several different languages and styles. They range from the apparently simple, direct language of the vachanas of Basavanna to the ornate Persian of the farman of the Mughal emperors. Understanding each type of text requires different skills: apart from a familiarity with several languages, the historian has to be aware of the subtle variations in style that characterise each genre. 2024-25 166 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II Varieties of sources used to reconstruct the history of sufi traditions A wide range of texts were produced in and around sufi khanqahs. These included: 1.Treatises or manuals dealing with sufi thought and practices – The Kashf-ul-Mahjub of Ali bin Usman Hujwiri (died c. 1071) is an example of this genre. It enables historians to see how traditions outside the subcontinent influenced sufi thought in India. 2. Malfuzat (literally, “uttered”; conversations of sufi saints) – An early text on malfuzat is the Fawa’id-al-Fu’ad , a collection of conversations of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya, compiled by Amir Hasan Sijzi Dehlavi, a noted Persian poet. Source 9 contains an excerpt from this text. Malfuzats were compiled by different sufi silsilas with the permission of the shaikhs ; these had obvious didactic purposes. Several examples have been found from different parts of the subcontinent, including the Deccan. They were compiled over several centuries. 3. Maktubat (literally, “written” collections of letters); letters written by sufi masters, addressed to their disciples and associates – While these tell us about the shaikh’s experience of religious truth that he wanted to share with others, they also reflect the life conditions of the recipients and are responses to their aspirations and difficulties, both spiritual and mundane. The letters, known as Maktubat-i Imam Rabbani , of the noted seventeenth-century Naqshbandi Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (d.1624), whose ideology is often contrasted with the liberal and non-sectarian views of Akbar, are amongst those most frequently discussed by scholars. 4. Tazkiras (literally, “to mention and memorialise”; biographical accounts of saints) – The fourteenth-centurySiyar-ul-Auliya of Mir Khwurd Kirmani was the first sufi tazkira written in India. It dealt principally with the Chishti saints. The most famous tazkira is the Akhbar-ul-Akhyar of Abdul Haqq Muhaddis Dehlavi (d. 1642). The authors of the tazkiras often sought to establish the precedence of their own orders and glorify their spiritual genealogies. Many details are often implausible, full of elements of the fantastic. Still they are of great value for historians and help them to understand more fully the nature of the tradition. Remember that each of the traditions we have been considering in this chapter generated a wide range of textual and oral modes of communication, some of which have been preserved, many of which have been modified in the process of transmission, and others are probably lost forever. 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 167 Virtually all these religious traditions continue to flourish to date. This continuity has certain advantages for historians as it allows them to compare contemporary practices with those described in textual traditions or shown in old paintings and to trace changes. At the same time, because these traditions are part of peoples’ lived beliefs and practices, there is often a lack of acceptance of the possibility that these may have changed over time. The challenge for historians is to undertake such investigations with sensitivity, while at the same time recognising that religious traditions, like other traditions, are dynamic and change over time. Timeline Some Major Religious Teachers in the Subcontinent c. 500-800 CE Appar, Sambandar, Sundaramurti in Tamil Nadu c. 800-900 Nammalvar, Manikkavachakar, Andal, Tondaradippodi in Tamil Nadu c.1000-1100 Al Hujwiri, Data Ganj Bakhsh in the Punjab; Ramanujacharya in Tamil Nadu c.1100-1200 Basavanna in Karnataka c.1200-1300 Jnanadeva, Muktabai in Maharashtra; Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti in Rajasthan; Bahauddin Zakariyya and Fariduddin Ganj- i Shakar in the Punjab; Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki in Delhi c.1300-1400 Lal Ded in Kashmir; Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sind; Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi; Ramananda in Uttar Pradesh; Chokhamela in Maharashtra; Sharafuddin Yahya Maneri in Bihar c.1400-1500 Kabir, Raidas, Surdas in Uttar Pradesh; Baba Guru Nanak in the Punjab; Vallabhacharya in Gujarat; Abdullah Shattari in Gwalior; Muhammad Shah Alam in Gujarat; Mir Sayyid Muhammad Gesu Daraz in Gulbarga, Shankaradeva in Assam; Tukaram in Maharashtra c.1500-1600 Sri Chaitanya in Bengal; Mirabai in Rajasthan; Shaikh Abdul Quddus Gangohi, Malik Muhammad Jaisi, Tulsidas in Uttar Pradesh c.1600-1700 Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi in Haryana; Miyan Mir in the Punjab Note: These time frames indicate the approximate period during which these teachers lived. 2024-25 168 THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY – PART II Answer in100 -150 words 1. Explain with examples what historians mean by the integration of cults. 2. To what extent do you think the architecture of mosques in the subcontinent reflects a combination of universal ideals and local traditions? 3. What were the similarities and differences between the be-shari‘a and ba-shari‘a sufi traditions? 4. Discuss the ways in which the Alvars, Nayanars and Virashaivas expressed critiques of the caste system. 5. Describe the major teachings of either Kabir or Baba Guru Nanak, and the ways in which these have been transmitted. Write a short essay (about 250-300 words) on the following: 6. Discuss the major beliefs and practices that characterised Sufism. 7. Examine how and why rulers tried to establish connections with the traditions of the Nayanars and the sufis. 8. Analyse, with illustrations, why bhakti and sufi thinkers adopted a variety of languages in which to express their opinions. 9. Read any five of the sources included in this chapter and discuss the social and religious ideas that are expressed in them. Map work 10. 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). 2024-25 BHAKTI -SUFI TRADITIONS 169 Projects (choose one) If you would like to know more, read: 11. Choose any two of the religious teachers/thinkers/ saints mentioned in this chapter, and find out more Richard M. Eaton (ed). 2003. about their lives and teachings. Prepare a report India’s Islamic Traditions. about the area and the times in which they lived, Oxford University Press, their major ideas, how we know about them, and New Delhi. why you think they are important. John Stratton Hawley. 2005. 12. Find out more about practices of pilgrimage Three Bhakti Voices associated with the shrines mentioned in this Mirabai, Surdas and Kabir chapter. Are these pilgrimages still undertaken? in their times and ours. When are these shrines visited? Who visits these Oxford University Press, shrines? Why do they do so? What are the activities New Delhi. associated with these pilgrimages? David N. Lorenzen (ed.). 2004. Religious Movements in South Asia 600-1800. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, A.K. Ramanujan. 1981. Hymns for the Drowning. Penguin, New Delhi. Annemarie Schimmel. 1975. Mystical Dimensions of Islam. Univesity of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. David Smith. 1998. The Dance of Siva: Religion Art and Poetry in South India. Cambridge Univesity Press, New Delhi. Charlotte Vaudeville. 1997. A Weaver Named Kabir. Oxford University Press, New Delhi. For more information, Fig. 6.18 you could visit: The dargah of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakariya, http://www.alif-india.com Multan (Pakistan) 2024-25