CBSE Class 12 History Changes In Religious Beliefs Devotional Texts Worksheet Set B

Key concepts in nutshell

• From the 8th to 18th century, a striking feature was the visibility of a wide range of gods and goddesses in sculpture and text.
• There was an integration of cults involving the composition, compilation, and presentation of Puranic texts in simple Sanskrit verses.
• Tantric forms of worship were more prevalent among women.
• Bhakti traditions were classified into saguna (with form) and nirguna (without form, worship of abstract form).
• The Alvars and Nayanars of Tamil Nadu: Alvars were worshippers of Vishnu and Nayanars were devotees of Shiva. Both groups travelled while singing hymns in Tamil.
• Alvars and Nayanars initiated movements against the caste system and the dominance of Brahmanas. The Nalayiradivyaprabandham is an important composition of the Alvars considered equal to the four Vedas.
• Status of women: Compositions of Andal (a woman Alvar) were popular, and the songs of Karaikkal Ammaiyar (devotee of Shiva) were widely sung.
• State patronage in the south favored Vedic gods over Jainism and Buddhism. The Cholas patronized Brahmanical traditions, making land grants to Lord Shiva; a bronze sculpture of Shiva exists at Gangaikondacholapuram.
• The singing of hymns occurred under royal patronage. Chola ruler Parantaka-I consecrated metal images of Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar in Shiva temples.
• Karnataka saw a new movement under Basavanna, a Brahmana in the court of a Chalukyan ruler. His followers were known as Virashaivas (heroes of Shiva) or Lingayats (wearers of Linga). They worship Shiva in the form of a linga to this day.
• Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and questioned the theory of rebirth. They supported the remarriage of widows.
• North India saw the emergence of Rajput states which patronized Brahmans for secular and ritual functions. The Naths, Jogis, and Siddhas were also prominent.
• Though guided by the Ulema, rulers followed flexible policies, sometimes granting religious tax exemptions to non-Muslims.
• Those who accepted Islam in India accepted the five pillars of faith in principle, but these were often overlooked with deviations in practice derived from local customs and affiliations (Sunni, Shia). In Malabar, some adopted the local language.
• Sufism: Sufis were critical of dogmatic definitions and scholastic methods of interpreting the Quran. They emphasized interpretation based on personal experiences.
• Chishtis: These were a part of Sufi hospices called khanqahs, which were small rooms and halls for students to live and pray. Life in a Chishti khanqah was like monastery life and catered to all travellers. Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya had many followers.
• Visits to dargahs (shrines) gained prominence by the 14th century. Music, dance, and mystical chants were performed to evoke divine ecstasy.
• The Bhakti movement saw the emergence of poet-saints like Kabir, whose poems were written in ulatbansi (upside-down sayings) where meanings were inverted.

OTQ 

Question. Q1: The term great and little traditions were coined by which sociologist?
Answer: Robert Redfield

Question. Q2: The Virashaivas Movement in Karnatka led by which person?
Answer: Basavanna.

Question. Q3: Who was Basavanna?
Answer: Basavanna was a minister in the court of a Kalachuri Ruler and founder of Virashaivas tradition.

Question. Q4: By which other name we know the Virashaivas?
Answer: Lingayats.

Question. Q5: What is Shari’a?
Answer: The Shari’a is the law governing the Muslim Community.

Question. Q6: Write the name of any two Sufi Silsilas?
Answer: Chisti, Suhrawardi, Qadiri, etc.

Question. Q7: Who was the founder of Chisti Silsilas?
Answer: Shaikh Muinuddin Chisti.

Question. Q8: In which place Khwaja Muinuddin’s dargah was situated?
Answer: Ajmer Rajasthan.

Question. Q9: Who were Alavars?
Answer: In southern India the devotees of Vishnu were called Alvars.

Question. Q10: Give the name of any four well known reformers of Bhakti movement.
Answer: Meera Bai, Kabir, Raidas, Gurunanak.

Question. Q11: What do you mean by Sufism?
Answer: The Sufis were Muslim saints who left a great impact on the Indian society. Sufism originated in Persia.

Question. Q12: What were the main Principle of Sufism?
Answer: Renunciation of worldly pleasure.

Question. Q13: What is the importance of Murshid in Sufi ideology?
Answer: According to Sufism, an individual must have a religious guide (Murshid) through whom he can communicate with god.

Question. Q14: Which Tamil text is known as Tamil Veda?
Answer: The Nalayira Divyaprabandham - composed by Alvar Saints. It is as important as the four Sanskrit Vedas.

Question. Q15: Who was Andal and Karaikkal Ammaiyar?
Answer: Andal was a woman Alvar who composed many poems. Karaikkal Ammaiyar was a devotee of Shiva.

Question. Q16: State how historians of religion have classified Bhakti tradition?
Answer: Bhakti traditions are classified into two broad categories: (i) Saguna - with attributes. (ii) Nirguna - without attributes.

S. A. 

Question. Q17. What were the four major principles of Islam?
Answer:

• Belief in one god Allah and the Prophet.
• Namaj (Five times every day).
• Zakat (Give alms to the poor).
• Haj visit and Fasting during the month of Ramzan.

Question. Q18. What were the main teachings of the Lingayats?
Answer:

• They were against the caste system.
• They questioned the belief in the theory of rebirth.
• They did not believe in child marriages.
• They encouraged widow's remarriage.

Question. Q19. Discuss the ways in which the Alvars, Nayanars and the Virashaivas expressed critiques of the caste system?
Answer: The followers (Bhaktas) came from different social backgrounds. They challenged the idea of caste and pollution attributed by Brahmanas. They allowed people from marginalized groups to participate in worship and composed hymns in local languages like Tamil and Kannada to make spiritual knowledge accessible.

Question. Q20. Analyze the influence that the Tamil Bhakti Saints had on the Chola Rulers.
Answer:

• Chola rulers gave land grants and constructed temples for Vishnu and Shiva.
• Sculptures like Shiva as Nataraja were produced under their patronage.
• To ensure the stability of the kingdom, the kings supported these saints and introduced the singing of Tamil Shiva hymns in temples.
• They took the initiative to compile these hymns into the text called Tevaram.

Question. Q21. Describe the main features of Life in Shaikh Nizamuddin's Khanqah.
Answer:

• It was situated in Ghiyaspur and featured several small rooms and a big hall for prayer.
• The Shaikh met visitors in the morning and evening. It served as a center of refuge.
• A Langar system ran on futuh (unasked for charity).
• Many eminent personalities visited, and the Shaikh appointed several spiritual successors to spread the message.

Question. Q22. Analyze the relations which existed between the Chisti Sufi Saints and the State.
Answer:

• Sufi Saints maintained distance from worldly affairs but accepted donations and grants from the state.
• Kings set up charitable trusts and gave tax-free lands; donations met the daily requirements of the khanqah.
• Kings often needed the support of Sufi Saints for their decisions and constructed tombs near Sufi shrines.
• Both expected certain established rituals like prostration and kissing of the feet to be performed.

Question. Q23. Explain with examples what historians meant by the integration of cults?
Answer: Integration of cults involved two processes: the dissemination of Brahmanical ideas and the effort by Brahmanas to rework the beliefs and practices of other social categories like women and Shudras. For example, Deity Jagannaatha was integrated as a form of Vishnu, and the widespread worship of goddesses in the form of a stone smeared with ochre was incorporated into Puranic traditions.

Question. Q24. Describe the growth of Chishti Silsila of Sufism.
Answer:

• There were numerous Sufi orders in India, but the Chishti order was the most important.
• They established themselves in Ajmer, Delhi, UP, Bihar, Bengal, Orissa, and the Deccan.
• Shaikh Muinuddin Chishti was the first saint of the order. Other important saints included Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya and Baba Farid.
• They used the local language of the people to propagate ideas and established khanqahs for meeting people.

Question. Q25. Describe the origin of the Bhakti Movement.
Answer: The origin of the movement was caused by evil practices within Hinduism, the fear of the spread of Islam, and the influence of Sufi sects and Vaishnavism. This led to the emergence of great reformers like Namdeva, Kabir, and Mirabai who emphasized personal devotion over rituals.

L. A. 

Question. Q26. Analyze with Illustrations, why Bhakti and Sufi thinkers adopted a variety of language to express their opinions?
Answer: Bhakti and Sufi thinkers adopted a variety of languages to ensure their teachings spread rapidly and gained acceptance among the local population. For example:

• Chishti saints conversed in Hindavi, and Baba Farid composed verses in local languages.
• Masnavis (long poems) expressed divine love using human love as an allegory.
• Malik Muhammad Jayasi's Padmavat revolves around the romance of Padmini and Ratansen.
• In Bijapur, Karnataka, short poems called Lorinama and Shadinama were written in Dakhani (a form of Urdu) and sung by women during household chores.
• Sufis were also influenced by the Kannada Vachanas and the Marathi abhangs of the saints of Pandharpur.

Value based Questions

The message of Baba Guru Nanak is spelt out in hymns and teachings. 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.

(i) What were the main teachings of Guru Nanak?
Answer: Guru Nanak was against rituals, superstitions, the caste system, and Brahmanical domination. He wanted to achieve a synthesis between the doctrines of Islam and Hinduism.

(ii) What values do you learn from this passage?
Answer: The values include rationalism (applying reason instead of following practices blindly), humanism (treating all equally), and secularism (having respect for all religions).

Passage Based Questions:

Q.28. The Pilgrimage of the Mughal Princes Jahanara, 1643. After praising one God.. this lovely fakir (humble soul) Jahanara - went from the capital Agra in the Company of my great father (Emperor Shah Jahan) towards the pure region of incomparable Ajmer ............ and having taken off the rose scarf that I had on my head, I placed it on the top of the blessed tomb...........

(i) Who made the trip to Ajmer and why?
Answer: Jahanara and Shah Jahan made the trip to seek blessings from Saint Muinuddin Chishti.

(ii) Who funded the initial construction of this saint's tomb and which king was the first to visit this shrine?
Answer: Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khaliji funded the initial construction, and Muhammad Bin Tughlaq was the first king to visit.

(iii) Why did this Shrine become popular?
Answer: It became popular due to the piety and austerity of the Shaikh, the greatness of his successors, and the consistent patronage of royal visitors.

Map work.

Question. Q.29. On the 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).
Answer:

• Sufi Shrines: Ajmer (Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti), Lahore (Data Ganj Baksh), and Pak Pattan (Sheikh Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar).
• Temple Places: Calcutta (Goddess Durga Temple), Karnataka (Nayanar/Shiva and Alvar/Vishnu temples).