History of India

HISTORY
Subject

History

Paper No.

Paper - III
History of Mughal India

Topic No. & Title

Topic - 9
Religion & Culture

Lecture No. & Title

Lecture - 4
Kabirpanthis & Dadupanthis

(For under graduate student)

FAQs
1.

Why was there a Rajput-Brahmin alliance in the

7th century?
The Rajput-Brahmin alliance existed because the
Rajput chieftains or the rajas wanted to declare
themselves as Kshatriyas and this could only be done
by the Brahmins who did it after getting land and
certain other favours.

History of India

2.

What

was

the

consequence

of

the

Turkish

attacks on the Brahmin-Rajput alliance?

The Brahmin-Rajput alliance was rudely shattered by
in the 13th century when the Turks conquered part of
north India. The Brahmins had lost their powers and
prestige because the Rajput Rajas had also lost their
positions and had gone to the countryside. Although
the Brahmins had followed them it was of no avail.
The Turkish conquest gradually expanded and they
began to control the countryside.
3.

What do you know about the Bauls of Bengal?

Bauls were a part of the rural culture of Bengal. They
were a mendicant folk sect, and their ideology
included

elements

from

Sufism,

Tantra,

and

Vaishnavism. Bauls practise secret devotional rites,

centering on the belief that the human body is the
repository of all truths. They do not conform to
organized religion and do not frequent mosques or
temples and reject family ties.

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4.

Mention some of the inventions that took place

in the 13th century.
The horse shoe was introduced which ensured greater
speed of travel. The manufacture of paper by the end
of 13th century eased communications with distant
areas. The spinning wheel or charka increased the
production of yarn six-fold. The pedalstrapped loom
from vertical to horizontal also increased the capacity
of production of cloth. The Persian wheel improved
irrigation to a very great extent.

5.

Who was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu?

Chaitanya (1486-1534) was a Vaishnava saint and
social reformer in eastern India. He was a notable
proponent of the Vaishnava school of Bhakti Yoga
based on the philosophy of the Bhagavata Purana and
the Bhagavad Gita. Like other Bhakti saints he too
emphasized

humility,

purity,

devotion

and

the

chanting of the name of the Lord, and rejected all

social discrepancies and rituals.

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6.

Why was Kabir famous?

Kabir played the role of teacher and social reformer
with strong beliefs in Sufism, Vaishnavism and Nath
ideology. Kabirs two line couplets or dohas reflected
his philosophy. He was against any form of social
discrimination, as well as of idol worship. He believed
in the oneness of God, and also that it was immaterial
whether one chanted the name of a Hindu or Islamic
God, as there is after all only one God who is the
Creator. Kabir rejected all the rituals of Islam like
going to Mecca or going to the mosque.

7.

What were the characteristics of the Bhakti

movement?
The chief characteristic of the Bhakti ideology was the
belief in one God and that devotion and love were the
instruments through which a devotee could attain
salvation. Bhakti philosophy also stressed that there
was no need for elaborate rituals or idol worship.
Saints emphasized Hindu-Muslim unity and preached
the equality of all castes as everyone was equal in the
eyes of the Almighty God. Virtues like purity of heart,

History of India

truth, honesty, kindness and charity figured among

the qualities one should possess in order to realize
God.
8.

Name some of the Bhakti preachers apart from

Kabir and Dadu.
Among the Bhakti saints mention could be made of
Ramanuja,

Ramananda,

Nanak,

Vallabhacharya,

Chaitanya and Namdeva.

9.

What was the basic doctrine of the Sufis?

The basic doctrine of Sufis was obedience to God and
Gods love for man, which was also displayed in the
Sufi theory of Pir and Murid (between the mentor and
disciple). The other Sufi doctrine was that of divine
judgment or that God is the divine judge who judges
man at the end and gives rewards or punishments.

10. Who is Hazari Prasad Dwivedi?

Acharya Dwivedi (1907-79) was a Hindi novelist,
literary historian, critic and scholar. He carried out
research on medieval religious movements especially

History of India

Kabir and Natha Yoga. He was steeped in the

traditional knowledge of Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit.