Bhakti and Sufi Traditions (History) PDF

BHAKTI-SUFI TRADITIONS CHANGES IN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND DEVOTIONAL TEXTS (C.EIGHTH TO EIGHTEENTH CENTURY) This chapter is divided into two parts. The chapter is based on the new/ latest syllabus.  Introduction This chapter de...

BHAKTI-SUFI TRADITIONS CHANGES IN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND DEVOTIONAL TEXTS (C.EIGHTH TO EIGHTEENTH CENTURY) This chapter is divided into two parts. The chapter is based on the new/ latest syllabus.  Introduction This chapter deals with the religious beliefs which occurred during 8th to 18th century. Historian used many sources to know the changes of religious traditions.  TEXTUAL RECORD The Compositions attributed to poet saints. These were compiled by disciples or devotees generally after the death of saints. Hagiographies or biographies of saints written by their followers. The sculptures of many saints and the devotions by the many kingdoms also provide the sources to know about the famous saints. CHALLENGES TO USE THESE SOURCES- The generations of devotees tended to elaborate on the original message. They occasionally modified or even abandoned some of the ideas that appeared problematic or irrelevant in different political , social and cultural context. Hagiographies or biographies of saints may not be literally accurate. A MOSAIC OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND Practices  THE INTEGRATION OF CULTS  TANTRIC WORSHIP The forms of worship often associated with goddess were classified as Tantric. Tantric worship was wide spread in the subcontinent. It was open to women and men. Those who followed Tantric rejected the caste and class within the ritual context. Many of these ideas influenced Shaivism and the Buddhism, especially in eastern, northern and southern part of this sub-continent. Conflicts that arose at that time  THE ALVARS AND NAYANARS OF TAMIL NADU During the sixth century, some of the Bhakti movements in south India were led by the Alvars and the Nayanars. The literal meaning of the Alvars is those who are immersed in devotion to Vishnu. The meaning of the word Nayanars is those who were devotees of Shiva. They travelled from place to place singing hymns in Tamil in praise of their gods. During their travels the Alvars and Nayanars identified certain shrines as abodes of their chosen deities. Later big temples were built at those places and developed as pilgrimage centre’s. According to some historians, the Alvars and the Nayanars started a movement of protest against the caste system and the Brahmanas and attempted to reform the system. The devotees came from the different social backgrounds such as artisans, cultivators and even from the caste that were considered “untouchable” The saint –poets the Alvars and the Nayanars were opposed to Buddhism and Jainism. This hostility is well marked in their compositions particularly of the Nayanars. CHALLENGE TO THE CASTE SYSTEM  New Strands in the Fabric Islamic Traditions(Arrival of Islam into India) 1. Arab merchants frequented ports along the western coast in the first millennium CE, they settled in the Malabar Coast. 2. In 711 an Arab general named Muhammad Qasim conquered Sind, which became part of the Caliph’s domain. 3. Later the Turks and Afghans established the Delhi Sultanate. This continued with the establishment of the Mughal Empire in the sixteenth century. 4. Theoretically, Muslim rulers were to be guided by the ulamas. Ulemas are theologians who are well versed in Islamic laws. Rulers ruled according to the sharia. The sharia is the law governing the Muslim community. It is based on the Quran and the hadiths. 5. Muslims ruled and protected people of all the religions but collected Jizya tax from the Non- Muslims. Several rulers gave land endowments and granted tax exemptions to Hindu, Jain, Zoroastrian, Christian and Jewish religious institutions and also expressed respect to the Saints. THE POPULAR PRACTICE OF ISLAM  NAME OF COMMUNITIES Today we often use the term Hindu or Muslim for these communities but the historian find out from inscriptions and Sanskrit text that this term was not used for these people till 14 century. Instead these term people were identifies by their region as Turkish for Turushka, Tajika for Tajikistan or Parshika for Persia. Sometime Turks or Aghan were referred as Shakas and Yavans(Greeks) A term Mlechchha also used for these migrants which means they did not follow the norms of caste system and spoke different language instead of Sanskrit. Hindu term was not used for the religion as we saw that it was used for the people who live near the river Sind.  THE GROWTH OF SUFISM The groups of religious minded people were called as Sufis in Islam. It is an English word. The word used for Sufism in Islam is Tasawwuf. The term sufi were defined by many ways by historians- It is derived from suf meaning wool, refer the course woolen clothes worn by sufis Some told that it is derived from safa mens purity It may also derived from suffa , the platform outside the prophet mosques, where followers assembled to learn about faith. They were critical of the dogmatic definitions and scholastic methods of interpreting the Quran. They emphasized on seeking salvation through intense devotion and love for God by following his command. They emphasized interpretation of Quran on the basis of personal experience.  Life in the Chishti khanqah The khanqah was the centre of social life. It comprised several small rooms and a big hall where inmates and visitors lived and prayed. The Shaikh lived in a small room on the roof of the hall where he met visitors in the morning and evening. There was an open kitchen (langar).From morning till evening people from all walks of life, came to seek the blessings from the Shaikh in various matters. Other visitors included poets such as Amir Hasan Sijzi and Amir Khusru and the court historian Ziyauddin Barani and all of them wrote about the Shaikh. Different practices were adopted by the Chishtis in their kanqah as Bowing before the Shaikh Offering water to visitors Shaving the heads of initiates Yogic exercises CHISHTI DEVOTIONALISM: ZIYARAT AND QAWWALI SUFIS AND THE STATE  New Devotional Paths in Northern India: Kabir was a poet-saint of 14th-15th centuries. Kabir’s verses were compiled in three distinct traditions The Kabir Bijak is preserved by the Kabirpanth in Uttar Pradesh. The Kabir Granthavali is associated with the Dadupanth in Rajasthan. Many of his verses were included in the Adi Granth Sahib. Kabir described the ultimate reality as Allah, Khuda, Hazarat and Pir. He also used terms from vedantic traditions, like alakh, nirakar, brahmin, atman, etc. Kabir accepted all types of philosophy i.e. Vedantic traditions, Yogic traditions and Islamic ideas. Kabir’s ideas probably crystallised through dialogue and debate. The message of Guru Nanak is spelt out in his hymns and teachings, where he advocated a form of Nirguna bhakti.  According to Guru Nanak, the absolute or ‘rab’ had no gender or form. His ideas expressed through hymns called ‘Shabad’ in Punjabi. Guru Arjan compiled Guru Nanak’s hymns along with the hymns of Baba Farid, Ravidas and Kabir in the Adi Granth Sahib. Later, Guru Gobind Singh included the compositions of Guru Tegh Bahadur and this scripture was known as the ‘Guru Granth Sahib.’ Mirabai was a famous woman-poet of Bhakti tradition. She composed many songs that were characterised by intense expression of emotions. Mirabai’s song inspired poor and low caste people in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Shankaradeva in the late fifteenth century was a leading proponent of Vaishnavism in Assam. He emphasised the need for ‘Naam Kirtan’ and encouraged the establishment of ‘Satra’ or monas tries and ‘naam ghar’ or prayer halls. His major compositions include the ‘Kirtana-ghosha’.