WBBSE Chapter 7 Topic A Lifestyle Bhakti Cult Sufism And Din I Llahi Long Question And Answers
Question 1. Write a note on Guru Nanak.
Answer:
Guru Nanak
1. Life:
Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, was born in the village Talwandi (present Nankana Sahib) in the Lahore District of present Punjab province of Pakistan. In his youth, he was employed by Daulat Khan Lodi, the governor of Sultanpur in Punjab.
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2. Philosophy of Bhaktivad:
According to Nanak, God is immortal, omniscient, fearless, self-created, self-revealing, and omnipotent. He stated that, while the preceptor is a sea, a disciple is a river. Chanting the name of God with devotion helps a person to attain God.
3. Guiding principle:
The three basic principles preached by Nanak were the oneness and omnipotence of God, a pious guru-centric lifestyle, and chanting of God’s name (naam sankirtan).
4. Contribution:
- The divinity of God: Nanak was the preacher of a formless divine God instead of idols, deities, and incarnations.
- Foundation of Sikhism: Nanak founded Sikhism. His followers are known as Sikhs.
- Religious tolerance: Nanak preached to all people irrespective of caste, creed, or religion showing equal treatment and respect towards all religious philosophies and thus preaching universal tolerance.
Question 2. Describe the contribution of Sri Chai-Tanya as a propagator of the Bhakti faith.
Answer:
Contribution of Sri Chaitanya
1. Religion:
- Sri Chaitanya was a great propounder of the Bhakti faith.
- To him, an intensely pious Chandala was superior to a Brahmana. This was a revolutionary idea.
2. Society:
- He preached equality of mankind and universal brotherhood.
- He condemned the caste system and the domination of Brahmins.
- As a result, the rigidity of the caste system became somewhat relaxed.
3. Literature:
Biographies of Sri Chaitanya were abundant like Chaitanya Mangal, Chaitanya Bhagavata, and Chaitanya Charitamrita.
4. Gaudiya Vaishnava:
- Chaitanya also founded a new independent sect, the ‘Gaudiya Vaishnava’ community.
- Vaishnava’s influence was distinct in the spheres of literature, music, philosophy, and social thoughts.
Question 3. Write a note on Meera Bai.
Answer:
Meera Bai
1. Early life:
- Meera Bai was a great Bhakti saint. This ardent devotee of Sri Krishna was born at Merata, a village near Ajmer in either 1498 or 1503.
- Her father was the Rajput noble Ratan Singh.
- She was married to Bhojraj, the eldest son of Rana Sanga of Mewar, but she became a widow at a young age.
2. Devotion towards Lord Krishna:
- After her husband’s death, Meera Bai left her husband’s house and took shelter at her father’s home.
- But when Maldeva of Jodhpur conquered Merata, she shifted to Dwarka where she lived till her last days.
- She never confined herself to family life. She devoted her life to Lord Krishna.
3. Meera’s Bhajans:
She composed more than 500 Bhajans in praise of Krishna, which is an invaluable treasure in the field of Indian music. Such an example of the devotional song is
- Mere to Giridhar Gopal
- Dusra na koi
- Jake sir mor mukuta
- Mere pati soil means that ‘My Lord is nobody else but Giridhari Gopal, who is crowned with a peacock feather, he is my husband.’
Question 4. State the similarities between Sufism and the Bhakti Movement.
Answer:
A lot of similarities can be noticed between the Bhakti Movement and Sufism, both of which rose in India, during the Sultanate era as religious reform movements.
Similarities between Sufism and Bhaktivad
- Salvation: Both movements emphasize on the union of the soul with the Divine being, thus acquiring salvation.
- Devotion: Both emphasized ardent devotion to God and humanism instead of the practice of rites and rituals.
- Medium of preaching: Expression of love towards God or surrender through music and dance was their medium of preaching.
- Role of the preceptor: Both emphasized the need for a Guru or Pir (preceptor) to guide disciples towards God.
- Simple living: Both emphasized simple living without any pomp or grandeur.
- Followers: The Sufi and Bhaktivad . followers were of the poor strata of society. The majority of them were laborers.
- Principles: Both movements aimed at social reforms, to eradicate social evils and promote communal harmony and equality.
Question 5. Mention the impact of Bhakti and Sufi movements on Indian history and culture.
Answer:
Both Bhakti and Sufi Movements had a deep influence on society, religion, and literature during the Sultanate era.
Impact of Bhakti and Sufi movements on Indian history and culture
Bhaktivad
- Society: The neglected class and women of Hindu society gained prestige. The rigidity of untouchability and caste distinction became flexible.
- Religion: Theritual-based complex religious rites decreased; the influence of priests was reduced; idol-worship lost popularity; new sects like Sikhism under Guru Nanak and Vaishnavism under Sri Chaitanya emerged.
- Literature: Regional languages developed such as Bengali popularised by Sri Chaitanya, Hindi by Kabir’s dohas, Marathi by Namadev, and Gurumukhi by Guru Nanak. Sufism
- Religion: Several Muslim rulers and aristocrats became tolerant towards other religions under the influence of Sufism. Both Hindus and Muslims jointly worshipped Olabibi, Bonbibi, Gazibaba, Ma Sitala, and Satyapir.
- Society: Sufism freed the society from the rigidity of untouchability and casteism.
- Literature: Sufi saints contributed to the development of Hindi language and literature by preaching sermons through Hindi poems and songs. Literature based on regional languages developed too.
Question 6. How did cultural assimilation take place during the Sultanate era?
Answer:
A cultural exchange and assimilation took place between Islam and Hinduism during the Sultanate era.
Cultural assimilation
1. Patronage by Sultans:
The Sultans of Delhi patronized the translation of various Sanskrit works into Persian, Urdu, and Hindi.
- Many Hindu texts were translated into Persian. Zainul Abedin of Kashmir supervised the translation of the Mahabharata and Rajatarangini into Persian.
- The Bhagavad Gita and the Mahabharata were translated into Bengali. The Vaishnava revolution took place under the patronage of Hussain Shah.
2. Architectural synthesis:
- A new style of architecture was created by the amalgamation of Buddhist, Hindu and Persian elements.
- Many Hindu motifs found a place of pride in the Sultani architectural structures.
3. Contribution of scholars:
- The Muslim scholars began to study Hindu scriptures and philosophy and composed works based on them.
- This paved the way for a cultural exchange.
4. Social condition:
- Many low-caste Hindus were fed up by the rigid caste system and domination of Brahmins.
- They felt attracted to the message of equality and universal brotherhood of Islam and were converted to Islam in large numbers.
5. Mixed urban community:
- Urbanisation also received an impetus as more and more people flocked to the cities for work and business.
- Urbanization played a major role in the Hindu-Muslim cultural exchange.
Question 7. How was the life of the common people of medieval India?
Answer:
The common people of medieval India spent an easy-going life.
Lifestyle of the common people of medieval India
Food:
- Their daily food was the same old ‘Kedgeree’ (khichri).
- They had their meal once a day. According to foreign accounts, they did not know the taste of meat.
Dress:
- They did not sufficient dresses to wear. They had rarely one or two-bed sheets for laying their beds.
- They used the sheets sometimes to cover themselves. Though sufficient in summer, in winter, they had to suffer.
Furniture: As regards furniture, they had a pair of ‘charpoy’ and a few cooking utensils only.
House:
- They made their residence around a well ditch or a pond.
- The minimum elements required for their settlement were a bundle of hay and a few tree trunks.
- All these were enough for their dwelling.
Amusement:
- Wrestling, archery, javelin throwing and swimming were some of their favorite sports.
- Folk songs, dancing, and juggling were their source of enjoyment.
Conclusion: Famine or no famine, the condition of the poor people remained the same.
Question 8. What were the factors that led to the rise of the Bhakti Cult?
Answer:
The motif of the Bhakti cult was the love or devotion of the devotees for the divine.
Factors leading to the rise of the Bhakti cult
1. Encouragement of different religious groups:
- Some religious people like the yogis, and nathpanthis, and others experimented with the Bhakti cult.
- Among them, the Saiva Naynar and Vaishnava Alvar may deserve special mention.
2. Obsoleteness of Brahmanical Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism:
- Brahmanism, Buddhism, and Jainism became obsolete during this time.
- These religious doctrines put stress on rituals without any reason.
- They preached the message of an unworldly life.
3. Easy and simple ideal of Bhakti cult:
- Alvar and Naynar devotees preached their religion in lucid languages.
- As a result, the common people were attracted to this cult.
- Thereby Bhakti cult became extremely popular.
- Examples of Real-Life Applications of Bhakti Teachings
Question 9. What was the message of Kabir? What were the results of the Bhakti movements?
Answer:
Kabir was the most famous among the disciples of Ramananda.
Massage of Kabir
- To Kabir, all the religions are same, gods are one. According to Kabir, Rama, Hari, Govinda, Allah, Sain, and Sahib are different names of one god.
- He believed people would meet the god in his mind through devotion only.
- It is useless to go to temples and mosques in search of god. So idol worship, bathing in the Ganges, and offering ‘namaz’ are meaningless.
- Songs and ‘do’s of Kabir have explicitly protested against the pretentious rituals.
Results of the Bhakti Movement
Due to the Bhakti movement
- Social equality was established
- Women were held in high esteem
- Castism became weak
- The influence of the priests decreased
- Culturally, the Hindi language was enriched through the Dohas of Kabir and the Bengali language was revitalized through the Padavali literature
- The verses of Marathi saints Namdeva and Eknath laid the foundation of Marathi literature
- It was Guru Nanak who made the Gurumukhi language popular.
Question 10. What is Sufism? What were its features?
Answer:
Sufism
- Since the 10th to 11th centuries, many Muslims started looking for the path of worshipping god without following strict religious doctrines.
- The Sufi saints who came from central Asia showed a new path of adoration.
- They desired to worship god in their own way. This is called Sufism.
Features of Sufism
Nature:
- When Sufism came to India from central Asia, the religious conception of the Bhakti cult and the Nathapanthis very much existed there.
- So it is believed, that Sufism, the Bhakti cult, and the Nathapanthis influenced each other.
2. Groups:
- In India Sufism was divided into two groups-Chistis and Suhrawardis.
- ‘Chistis’ belonged to the Ganga-Yamuna doab area and the Suhrawardis belonged to Sind, Punjab, and Multan.
3. Human Philosophy:
The Sufi saints did not judge the people with the yardstick of religion, money, and power.
4. Religious doctrine:
- So far the religious doctrine was concerned the ‘Sufis were of two orders.
- Those who followed the Islamic principles were called ‘Ba-Shara’ and those who did not, were called ‘Be-Shara’.
- ‘Shara’ means Islamic laws. Vagabond ‘Sufis’ and ‘Kalandars’ were of the former order and the ‘Chistis’ and ‘Suhrawardis’ were of the second order.
Question 11. How was the lifestyle of the ‘Sufis’ in India? What was their contribution to the society?
Answer:
Lifestyle of the ‘Sufis’
- The ‘Sufi saints lived a very simple life. All day, they were busy in meditation. They did not judge the people with the yardstick of religion, money, and power.
- They did not accept any royal help. They were dependent on the donations of the people.
- The ‘Chisti’ Sufis kept away themselves from the court politics. They believed that too much involvement in politics was a definite impediment in the way of divine worship.
- But on the other hand, the Suhrawardis did not like a life of poverty. They rather liked a life of pleasure and comfort.
- They were always ready to accept royal grants and high religious posts.
Contribution
- Sufism exerted a profound influence on the Indian society.
- The people who came in touch with the Sufi saints were very much impressed by their simplicity, humanism, profound love for god and saintliness.
- As a result, Sufism became popular among both Hindus and Muslims. They sent a message of social harmony.
Question 12. Describe the planned structure of the Vaishnava Bhakti of Sri Chaitanya.
Answer:
The planned structure of Vaishnava Bhakti of Sri Chaitanya
- Sri Chaitanya did not believe in casteism or the superiority of the Brahmins.
- Sri Chaitanya introduced the devotional songs, sung publicly, named, ‘nagar sankirtan’.
- Though he was a Brahmin himself he did not hesitate to mingle with other people of different occupations.
- He did not oppose any other form of religion.
- Once while chanting the name of Krishna in the streets, Nitai or Nityananda, a follower of Sri Chaitanya, was attacked by Jagai and Madhai two irreverent drunk brothers. Sri Chaitanya opposed this incident.
- He also opposed the orthodox Brahminism.
- Sri Chaitanya introduced another type of devotional song, known as ‘Kirtan’.
- The Vaishnava Padavali, composed by different Bengalee poets helped the growth of Bengali literature and language. Sri Chaitanya introduced devotional chanting or ‘Damian’.
Conclusion: The advent of Sri Chaitanya was the first awakening of the Bengali race.
Question 13. Write a note on Srimanta Shanka-radeva.
Answer:
- The Bhakti movement had also spread to Assam in the northeast.
- Srimanta Shankaradeva was the leader of this movement. He belonged to the 16th and 17th century.
Srimanta Shankaradeva
1. Early life:
Srimanta Shankaradeva was born in a Kayastha Bhuniya family in Assam.
2. Religious thought:
- The Vaishnavite thought of Shankaradeva was known as ‘Eksharan’. According to this thought, the religious thoughts of each devotee were mainly two.
- One is to take refuge of Srikrishna through the performance of ‘namgaan’ (devotional songs) and the other was ‘sankirtana’ of Lord Krishna.
- As the people irrespective of caste and creed could take refuge in this new religion, the ‘sharan’ of Shankaradeva became extremely popular.
3. Contribution:
- He built up several ‘satras’ (centres, where the Vaishnavite devotees met) in Assam. There were ‘namghars’ and ‘kirtanghars’ for the devotees.
- While the Ahom kings fought against the Mughals, Shankaradeva was able to unite the common people through the ideology of ‘Bhakti’.
Question 14. Write a note on Din-i-llahi.
Answer:
Among all the Muslim rulers of India, Akbar was the most liberal. He was the first Muslim ruler of India to divorce religion from politics.
Din-i-llahi
1. Evolution:
- Akbar initiated his religious deliberation with the ulemas at Fatehpur Sikri.
- Later, he invited all the religious experts-Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Christian, and Zoroastrian.
- On the basis of all these discussions, Akbar promulgated a monotheistic religion called Din-i-Allah, or divine religion.
2. Oath:
- Those who accepted Din-i-Allah had to pledge to sacrifice their life, religion, property, and honor in the service of the emperor.
- Besides they had to bow at the feet of the emperor on the day of the oath-taking ceremony, and the emperor gifted them with a turban and a medal.
3. Nature:
- Sometimes it was believed that Din-i-Allah was a new religion.
- But now it is believed that Din-i-Allah is nothing but a traditional religious thought circulated among some of his followers.
4. Followers:
Some of his followers were from Persia. Some of them included Hindu Rajputs and Indian Muslims.
Conclusion:
Din-i-llahi was very short-lived. With the death of Akbar, Din-i-llahi also died out.
Question 15. Compare between the lower and upper strata of the medieval society.
Answer:
Comparison between the lower and upper strata of medieval society
1. Life of the commoners:
- Common people of medieval society lived in a joint family.
- The women’s position in society and the family became inferior as compared to men, and the condition of the women deteriorated.
- Hindu and Muslim women used the ‘veil’ and ‘purdah’ respectively. But in a poor family, both men and women toiled hard.
- As women had to work hard both outside and inside the household, the use of purdah and veil was infrequent or irregular.
2. Life-imperial style:
- On the contrary, the members of the royal families lived a life of luxury and grandeur.
- They did not hesitate to spend any amount for their pomp and glory.
- Their constructional works like forts, palaces, mosques, madrasas, and architecture like Tajmahal involved lots of money.
- Not only the emperors themselves but also their courtiers possessed enormous wealth.
- Their garments and ornaments were expensive beyond imagination.
Conclusion:
- However, the lifestyle of the poor and common people remained unchanged.
- Excessive labor and utter poverty were always part of life.
WBBSE Chapter 7 Topic A Lifestyle Bhakti Cult Sufism And Din I Llahi Short Question And Answers
Question 1. What were the prices of wheat and paddy during the Sultanate era?
Answer:
Price of wheat:
The price of wheat per maund cost 7½ jital during the reign of Alauddin Khilji, 12 jitals during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, and 8 jitals during the reign of Feroz Shah Tughlaq.
Price of paddy:
The price of paddy per maund cost 5 jitals and 14 jitals, during the reign of Alauddin Khilji and Muhammad bin Tughlaq, respectively.
Question 2. What were the prices of various goods in Bengal, as known from the accounts of Ibn Battuta?
Answer:
Based on Ibn Battuta’s accounts, it is known that in the Sultanate era
- The price of a hen in Bengal was 1 vital
- A goat cost 3 tankas
- A sheep cost 16 jitals
- 15 pigeons cost 8 jitals
- The best quality textile of 30 years cost 2 tankas
- Rice per maund cost 8 jitals and
- Sugar per maund cost 32 jitals.
Question 3. Describe the society during the Sultanate, and Mughal eras.
Answer:
The society during the Sultanate, and Mughal eras:
- During the Sultanate and Mughal eras, society was based on the joint family.
- In both society and family, women were ranked lower than men.
- Hindu ladies used the veil while Muslim ladies used the purdah.
- In poor, peasant families, both men and women worked together side by side at home and in the fields.
Question 4. How was the daily life of the poor, in the Sultanate and Mughal eras?
Answer:
The daily life of the poor, in the Sultanate and Mughal eras:
- During the Sultanate and Mughal eras, the daily diet of the poor was khichdi which was consumed only once a day.
- They were too poor to afford meat. They had meager clothes, a pair of string beds, and a few utensils.
- They had one or two bed sheets which they used either to sleep on or to cover themselves with.
Question 5. What types of pastimes did the aristocrats and commoners enjoy during the Middle Ages?
Answer:
Types of pastimes the aristocrats and commoners enjoyed during the Middle Ages:
- Both aristocrats and commoners were enthusiastic about popular games like wrestling, archery, swimming, and javelin- another popular sport in Bengal.
- Common throwing. Bantul (catapult) throwing has people enjoyed folk music, dance, conjuring, and juggling shows of street performers and clowns.
Question 6. How was time measured during the Sultanate and Mughal eras?
Answer:
Time measured during the Sultanate and Mughal eras:
- During the Sultanate and Mughal eras, days and nights were divided into 8 parts or Prahars.
- Each prahar approximately measured 3 hours.
- The eight Prahars were again sub-divided into sixty ghadis, each ghadi being 24 minutes long. Each ghadi was divided into 60 Palas.
- So, days and nights comprised of 3600 Palas.
Question 7. What is the Bhakti Movement?
Answer:
Bhakti Movement:
During the Middle Ages, a group of ascetics began emphasizing prayers to God and kindness to mankind to attain God.
- This is the essence of the Bhakti Movement. They believed that-
- God is one
- There must be deep faith devotion and longing for God
- The devotee should immerse himself completely in the thoughts of God so that his soul is metaphysically united with God.
Question 8. Write a short note on Kabir.
Answer:
Kabir:
- Kabir (1440-1518), one of the popular Bhakti saints, was brought up in a Muslim (Jola) weaver family in Benaras.
- He composed two-line poems (couplets) or did not spread his religious beliefs.
- His followers were known as Kabirpanthis.
Principle:
- Kabir believed in monotheism or the oneness of God. He was against unnecessary religious rituals like idol worshipping, bathing in the Ganges observing Namaz, or extreme austerity.
- He preached to his disciples that man could attain God only through devotion.
Question 9. Who was Guru Nanak?
Answer:
Guru Nanak:
Guru Nanak was a famous Bhakti saint of India during the Medieval Age. He introduced Sikhism and was the first Guru. His followers are called Sikhs.
Principle:
- He emphasized ‘Sat-Sri-Akal’, i.e., God is one and true and hence, must be prayed to.
- He said spiritual upliftment can be attained by Naam Japna (praising the glory of God), Vand Chakhna (sharing including ‘Daan’), and Kirat Karni (honest living).
Question 10. Who was Dadu?
Answer:
Dadu:
- Dadu or Dadu Dayal was a well-known Bhakti saint of Medieval India.
- He worshipped Sri Rama Chandra and founded the Param Brahma cult to establish the unity of all religions.
Philosophy:
- He negated religious identity and emphasized humanism and individualism.
- He believed that devotion to God should transcend religious or sectarian affiliation or concern.
Question 11. Who was Sri Chaitanya?
Answer:
Sri Chaitanya:
- Sri Chaitanya propagated the Bhakti ideals in Bengal in the medieval age.
- He condemned the caste system and the domination of Brahmins. He founded the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect.
Philosophy:
He emphasized serving human beings and animals, intense devotion to God (Lord Krishna), and singing the glory of God (sankirtan) constantly.
Question 12. State some significant features of Vaishnavism propagated by Sri Chaitanya.
Answer:
Significant features of Vaishnavism propagated by Sri Chaitanya
- Through Vaishnavism, Sri Chaitanya stressed on equality of mankind, religious tolerance, and universal brotherhood.
- It was based on humanism and the love of mankind. It condemned division among men on the basis of race, caste, and creed.
- It was not against any traditional religion.
Question 13. What is Kirtan?
Answer:
Kirtan:
Kirtan refers to the chanting of God’s name with deep devotion, accompanied by music and dance.
Divisions:
Sri Chaitanya Deva divided kirtan into two types
- Namkirtan-devotional songs at home and
- Nagar kirtan-dancing along with devotional songs and moving around in processions throughout the town. Anyone irrespective of caste, creed or religion could perform in a kirtan.
Question 14. Who is Meera Bai?
Answer:
Meera Bai:
- Meera Bai, the daughter of the Rajput chieftain, Ratan Singh, was a great Bhakti saint.
- She was married to Bhojraj, the eldest son of Rana Sanga of Mewar, but she dedicated her whole life to Lord Krishna.
- After her husband’s death, she composed more than five hundred melodious Bhajans, which are a priceless treasure of Indian music and literature.
Question 15. Briefly state the consequences of the Bhakti movement.
Answer:
The consequences of the Bhakti movement are
- Equality, universal brotherhood, and toleration found a firm footing as caste rigidity was relaxed.
- The domination of Brahmins declined.
- The status of women improved.
- Regional languages like Bengali were enriched by Padavali literature and Hindi by dohas of Kabir. Namadev made Marathi and Nanak made Gurumukhi languages popular.
Question 16. What do you mean by Bhakti and Sufi?
Answer:
Bhakti:
The term Bhakti means intense and pure devotion to God, which unites the individual soul with the divinity or permanent soul.
Sufi:
- The term Sufi has evolved from the Arabic word ‘Suf’ meaning wool.
- It refers to the Islamic ascetics, who wore coarse garments of wool and spread the message of love, equality, humanism, and universal brotherhood among people and tried to remove the biased thoughts of Islam.
Question 17. What is meant by Sufism?
Answer:
Sufism:
Sufism refers to a reform movement within Islam that started in Central and West Asia and later spread to India during the Middle Ages.
Characteristics:
The propagators of Sufism wanted to cleanse Islam of its evils, spread universal brotherhood, tolerance, equality, simple and pure living, and emphasize the idea of one God.
The three basic characteristics are:
- Monotheism
- Pure pious lifestyle and
- Complete surrender before Allah.
Question 18. What is Ba-Shara and Be-Shara?
Answer:
- The Sufi orders were of two types- Ba-Shara: These Sufi sects followed the Islamic law (Shariat), for example, the Chisti and Suhrawardi orders.
- Be-Shara: These Sufi sects did not follow Islamic law or Shariat, for example, the nomadic sect called Qalandar.
Question 19. What were the consequences of the rise of Sufism?
Answer:
Sufism brought about cordial relations between Hindus and Muslims in the religion, society, art, and culture.
- Both religious communities worshipped Olabibi, Gazibaba, Satyapir, Bonbibi, and Ma Sitala.
- Caste rigidity was relaxed. Equality, universal brotherhood, and tolerance were established.
- Hindi, Urdu, and other regional languages and literature flourished.
Question 20. What do you know about the legend of Kabir?
Answer:
legend of Kabir:
- According to the legend, after the death of Kabir, his disciples, both Hindu and Muslim, were confused about the last rites-whether they would follow Hindu or Muslim customs.
- At that time, his body surprisingly vanished.
- Immediately after the incident, a handful of red roses was found on a white piece of cloth.
- Roses were shared among his disciples. Without judging the genuineness of the legend, we can realize that Kabir became a symbol of truth and equality.
Question 21. What are the opinions about the origin of the word ‘Sufi’?
Answer:
There are several opinions about the origin of the word ‘Sufi’
- According to one opinion, it comes from the word ‘suf’ which means wool. The Sufis used to cover themselves with thick wollen garments. So they were called ‘Sufis’.
- The second opinion is that the word ‘Sufi’ has come from the word ‘safa’ which means clean. The ‘Sufis’ attach much importance to purity of mind.
- According to others, the leading people, standing in a queue are called ‘Sufi’.
- Those who pretend to be equivalent to Asab-ul-suf, a follower of Muhammad, are also called ‘Sufis’.
Question 22. Why should we look into the condition of the common people of medieval India?
Answer:
- There are lots of stories and narrations of the royal families who ruled the country for ages.
- But the common people are very much neglected there. We have very little knowledge about them.
- So they deserve a separate discussion.
Question 23. Why the craft centers grew up in selected areas?
Answer:
- Waterways were one of the means of communication at that time.
- So the craft centres grew up beside the rivers to facilitate the import of raw materials and export of finished goods elsewhere.
Question 24. Which fruits and vegetables were grown in plenty in medieval India?
Answer:
- Among all the fruits, Mango was in high I demand in the Indo-Gangetic plain.
- Grapes, dates, bananas, blackberries, coconuts, etc., were also some of the products of choice.
- Vegetables that were consumed by the people in plenty were brinjal, gourd, potato, pumpkin, luffa, figs, ginger and chili may be mentioned.
Question 25. What were the industries common in medieval India?
Answer:
- Among the agro-based industries, sugar and perfumes (atar) were famous.
- Other than these, cotton manufacturing, metal works, stone works, masonry works, and paper works `were in extreme demand.
Question 26. What is ‘Silsilah?
Answer:
- Before the end of the twelfth century, the ‘Sufis’ were divided into several orders or ‘silsilahs’. The most important of them were ‘Chisti’, ‘Suhrawardy’, and ‘Firdausi’.
- Nizamuddin Auliya was the most famous among the ‘Sufi saints of the Chisti order.
Question 27. What do you mean by ‘Doha’?
Answer:
- Kabir composed beautiful couplets (Doha) for spiritual instruction.
- The couplets are full of splendid thoughts and ideas. They are considered assets of Hindu literature.
Question 28. What is Din-i-llahi?
Answer:
- During the middle of 1580, Mughal emperor Akbar propounded a new religious faith, called Din-i-llahi. It is a Persian term meaning faith in God.
- Both Abul Fazi and Badauni refer to it as Tauhid-i-llahi or Divine Monotheism. It comprises the positive essence and moral codes of all religions.
WBBSE Chapter 7 Topic A Lifestyle Bhakti Cult Sufism And Din I Llahi Very Short Question And Answers
Question 1. Where did the majority of the people live?
Answer: The majority of the people lived in villages.
Question 2. On which system the society was based?
Answer: Society was based on the joint family system.
Question 3. What was the position of women in the family and society?
Answer: The position of women in the family and society was lower than that of men.
Question 4. Who was keen on wrestling?
Answer: The common men, the ‘sadhus’ and even the nobility were keen about wrestling.
Question 5. How was the life of people in medieval India?
Answer: In medieval India, excessive labor and abject poverty were part of poor peasants, artisans, and labourers’ lives.
Question 6. What was an integral part of life in medieval India?
Answer: Religion was an integral part of life in medieval India.
Question 7. In which language do the Alvar and Naynar preachers express their devotion to God?
Answer: The Alvar and Naynars expressed their devotion to God in simple Tamil language.
Question 8. Where was the Bhakti cult first introduced?
Answer: The Bhakti cult was first introduced in the South India.
Question 9. Which religion was preached by Sri Chaitanya?
Answer: Sri Chaitanya preached Vaishnavism.
Question 10. Who was the only female preacher of Bhakti cult?
Answer: Meera Bai was the only female preacher of Bhakti cult.
Question 11. What was the name of the holy scripture of the Sikhs?
Answer: The name of the holy scripture of the Sikhs was ‘Guru Granth Sahib’.
Question 12. Which language was enriched by the teachings of Guru Nanak?
Answer: The teachings of Guru Nanak enriched the Punjabi language and Gurumukhi script.
Question 13. Who composed ‘Doha’?
Answer: Sant Kabir composed Doha.
Question 14. Which crafts flourished during the Sultanate and Mughal eras?
Answer: During the Sultanate and Mughal eras, crafts based on agricultural products emerged, such as the sugar industry, textile industry, perfumery, and paper manufacturing industry.
WBBSE Chapter 7 Topic A Lifestyle Bhakti Cult Sufism And Din I Llahi Fill In The Blanks
Question 1. ________(Berry/Banana/Mango) was a notable fruit, cultivated in the Gangetic plains.
Answer: Mango
Question 2. During Alauddin Khilji’s reign, wheat per maund cost ________ (8.5/7.5/6.5) jital.
Answer: 7.5
Question 3. During Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reign, paddy per maund cost ________ (15/10/14) jital.
Answer: 14
Question 4. During Feroz Shah Tughlaq’s reign, one maund pulse cost ________ (4/5/6) jital.
Answer: 4
Question 5. During the Mughal era, ________ (Javelin Throw/Wrestling/Swimming) was a popular sport.
Answer: Wrestling
Question 6. ________(Nanak/Kabir/Dadu) was an important follower of Ramananda.
Answer: Kabir
Question 7. The word Sufi originated from ________ (Suf/ Safed/Saaf).
Answer: Suf
Question 8. The Suhrawardi sect was established by ________ (Badruddin Tyabj/Badruddin Zakariya/Bakhtiyar Kaki).
Answer: Badruddin Zakariya
Question 9. The book Chaitanya Charita was composed by ________ (Krishnadas Kaviraj/Maladhar Basu/Krittibas Ojha).
Answer: Krishnadas Kaviraj
Question 10. The first British ambassador to the Mughal court was ________ (Mannrich/Vasco-da-Gama/Sir Thomas Roe).
Answer: Sir Thomas Roe
Question 11. The tallest tower built during the Sultanate ________ (Shahid Minar/Qutb Minar/ era was Char Minar).
Answer: Qutb Minar
Question 12. The ________ (rulers/subjects/religious leaders) of the country claimed a large part of the agricultural output produced by the farmers.
Answer: Rulers
Question 13. In the Middle Ages, items of daily use were quite cheap during the reign of ________(Mahmud Lodi/Balban/Ibrahim Lodi).
Answer: Ibrahim Lodi
Question 14. In the Middle Ages, the staple food of the poor was ________ (khichdi/rice/chapati).
Answer: Khichdi
Question 15. Sikh has ________ (five/seven/ten) Gurus.
Answer: Ten
Question 16. Meera Bai dedicated her entire life to the devotion of Lord ________ (Sri Krishna/ Mahadev/Brahma).
Answer: Sri Krishna
Question 17. The nerve centre of the Bhakti Movement in Bengal was ________ (Bishnupur/Krishna Nagar/Nabadwip).
Answer: Nabadwip
WBBSE Chapter 7 Topic A Lifestyle Bhakti Cult Sufism And Din I Llahi True Or False
Question 1. Handicraft was developed based on agro-based products.
Answer: True
Question 2. Handicrafts of the agro-based products were hereditary.
Answer: True
Question 3. Society was based on a joint family system.
Answer: True
Question 4. Festivity was a part of life in medieval India.
Answer: False
Question 5. Kabir was a disciple of Nanak.
Answer: False
Question 6. Akbar never gave up Islam.
Answer: True
Question 7. The ‘gurus’ of Sufism were called ‘Pirs’.
Answer: False
Question 8. Kabir preached the Bhakti cult through ‘Dohas’.
Answer: True
Question 9. The leader of the Bhakti movement in Assam was Srimanta Shankaradeva.
Answer: True
Question 10. Din-i-llahi was introduced by Birbal.
Answer: False
Question 11. Sufism was a part of Brahmanical Hinduism.
Answer: False
Question 12. One of the founders of the Bhakti cult was Moinudddin Chisti.
Answer: False
Question 13. Darga of Salim Chisti was in Fatehpur Sikri.
Answer: True
Question 14. Sri Chaitanya preached his religion in Nabadwip.
Answer: True
Question 15. The jaguar-Madhai incident took place in ‘Gauda’.
Answer: False