The Composite Culture: Bhakti Movement, Sufism

and Influence of Christianity on Indian Society

EXERCISES

Question 1.
What is meant by Composite Culture?
Answer:
It means that culture is made up of many elements drawn from several different
traditions such as Classical Hindu tradition and the Islamic and Christian thoughts and
beliefs.

Question 2.
Name any two factors responsible for the emergence of Composite Culture in India.
Answer:
When the Hindus and Muslims began living together, something new, something that
was neither Muslim nor Hindu but a mixture of the two, was born. It was impossible for
them to remain isolated from each other and both were influence mutually by each
other’s faith and ideas. The spirit of tolerance, the desire to assimilate each other’s
ideas and customs and the wider outlook of the Hindu and Muslim saints gave impetus
to two religious movements — Sufism among the Muslims and the Bhakti cult among
the Hindus.

Question 3.
Mention any one impact of the emergence of Composite Culture in India.
Answer:
Efforts at mutual understanding led to a process of accommodation in all fields of life,
such as arts and architecture, music and literature, religious beliefs and even in the field
of customs and rituals.The Hindu ideas of Yoga and Vedanta had a definite contribution
to the development of Islamic philosophy in many ways. The Sufi Movement provided a
common platform for both the Muslims and the Hindus.
Music and painting also showed a blending of Persian and Indian ideas. Abul Fazl’s
Akbarnamah contains a number of painting depicting customs and rituals of those
days.

Question 4.
Name any two sources to reconstruct religious thoughts and ideas leading to the growth
of Composite Culture.
Answer:
Main two sources to reconstruct religious thoughts and ideas leading to the
growth of composite culture are:
 1. Bijak — Bijak is the compilation of the verses of Kabir. Kabir has drawn inspiration
from various traditions—Islam, Vedas and yogic traditions to describe the Ultimate
Reality. For example, he has used the terms like alakh (the unseen), nirakar
(formless), Brahman and Atman, from Vedantic traditions.
2. Guru Granth Sahib — Guru Granth Sahib is the only scripture of its kind which
contains the songs, hymns and utterances of a wide variety of saints, sages and
bards. This shows that Guru Arjan Dev wanted to affirm the fundamental unity of
all religions and the unitary character of all mystic experience. It is indeed, a
magnificent compendium of religions, mystic and metaphysical poetry written or
uttered between the 12th and the 17th century in different parts of India. It is, also,
at the same time, a mirror of the sociological, economic and political conditions of
those days.

Question 5.
What is Bijak ?
Answer:
Bijak: Bijak is the compilation of the verses of Kabir. It comprises three main sections
called Sakhi, Ramaini and Shabda.

Question 6.
Name any two Sikh Gurus whose sermons and hymns are included in the Adi Granth.
Answer:
Adi Granth is vast collection of Sermons and hymns of the five Sikh Gurus-Guru Nanak,
Guru Angad, Guru Amardas, Guru Ramdas and Guru Arjun Dev Ji.

Question 7.
Name any two saints other than the Sikh Gurus whose devotional hymns are included in
the Adi Granth.
Answer:
Kabir, Namedo, Raidasa and Baba Farid.

Question 8.
Who among the Sikh Gurus announced the end of personal Guruship and named Guru
Granth Sahib as the Guru of the Sikhs ?
Answer:
Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The 10th Sikh Guru announced the end of personal Guruship
and named Adi Granth as ‘Guru Granth Sahib”.

Question 9.
Who founded the Chisti Order (Silsila) ?
Answer:
Hazrat Muin-ud-Din, founded (Silsila) the Chisti Order.
Question 10.
Name the two stages in the Spiritual Path leading one to the Union with God ?
Answer:
Nizam-ud-din believed that one could embrace God with in this life by Talab (Deep
Desire for Union With God) and Fana (Destruction of Ego).

Question 11.
Who sought the Raja’s permission to build a fort at Kochi ?
Answer:
Alfonsa, de Albuquerque was appointed Governor of Portuguese affairs in India. He
was allowed by the Raya (Raja) of Cochin to build a fort at Kochi.

Question 12.
Mention any one historic merit of the St. Francis Assisi Church at Kochi.
Answer:
The Clock on this Church was erected in the year 1923 in memory of Hal Harrison
Jones, the then Managing Director of Aspin wall and Company. There is in its premises
a Cenotaph, a monument or a War Memorial in memory of the residents of Cochin who
fell during the First World War.

Question 13.
Mention the two main features (principles) of the Bhakti Cult.
Answer:
The two main features of the Bhakti Culture:

1. There is none too high or low with God. All are alike to God.
2. Denouncement of idol worship and condemnation of formal rituals in religion.

Question 14.
Mention the contribution made by Sant Jnaneswar to Marathi literature.
Answer:
Sant Dhyaneshwar wrote in Marathi a famous commentary, called the Dhyaneshwari,
on the Bhagavad Gita. He translated many Sanskrit works into Marathi including
Amritanubhava, Atmanubhava and Bhavartha Dipika. The religious poems written by
him are called Abhangas.

Question 15.
Mention the two main teachings of Kabir.
Answer:
The two main teachings of Kabir are:

1. He denounced idol-worship, meaningless rituals and pilgrimages to holy places.

2. Devotion to God was regarded as an effective means of salvation.
Question 16.
Mention the two important teachings of Guru Nanak
Answer:
Guru Nanak preached the gospel of Universal Brotherhood and religious tolerance. He
exhorted the Hindus and the Muslims to forget their differences, because he believed in
the equality of all religions.

Question 17.
Who was Mirabai ? What was her message to the people ?
Answer:
Mirabai was a Rajput princess married into the ruling family of Mewar (Udaipur). A
devotes of Lord Krishna since childhood, she continued to devote her whole time to the
Lord’s worship even after her marriage. She, in her devotional songs says, “People say,
Mira has gone mad. I have myself become the eternal maid-servant of my Narayana.”
Her message was: “There is but one means to experience Lord’s Divine Presnce—that
is Bhakti.”

Question 18.
Name the two famous Sufi Saints of India.
Answer:
Hazrat Khwaja Muin-ud-Din Chisti and Nizam-ud-din Auliya.

Question 19.
Mention the two main principles of Sufism.
Answer:
The two main principles of Sufism are:

1. One could reach God through love and devotion and not through blind observance
of rituals.
2. God is one and all people are the children of God. Love of God meant love for
humanity.

Question 20.
When and by whom was Christianity believed to have been introduced in India ?
Answer:
St. Thomas came to South India in the first century AD. He believed to introduce
Christianity in India.

Question 21.
Who was St. Francis Xavier ?
Answer:
He was one of the founders of the Society of Jesus. He toured many regions of Asia,
especially those areas that were controlled by the Portuguese at that time. He had gone
to Japan and the islands of Borneo and Moluccas (now in Indonesia). However, as a
missionary his most notable successes were only in
India. ‘

Question 22.
Which two principles did St. Francis Xavier include among the human values ?
Answer:
The principles included human values, such as Humility before God, Mercy, Purity of
Heart and Love, for enemies as well as friends.

STRUCTURED QUESTIONS

Question 1.
Explain the sources of reconstruct religion thoughts and ideas leading to the growth of
Composite Culture with reference to:
(a) Bijak’s contents
(b) Guru Granth Sahib and Guru Nanak Dev’s teachings
Answer:
(a) Bijak — Bijak is the compilation of the verses of Kabir. It comprises three main
sections called Sakhi, Ramaini and Shabda and a fourth section containing
miscellaneous folk song forms.

1. The sakhi is composed in the doha or couplet form.

2. The Ramaini form is usually written in the meter called chaupai and is usually
based upon a musical raga.
3. The third form, the Shabda is meterically the loosest form. Since it is the popular
song form it has been altered from region to region and from singer to singer.
Kabir has drawn inspiration from various traditions — Islam, Vedas and yogic
traditions to describe the Ultimate Reality. For example, he has used the terms
like alakh (the unseen), nirakar (formless), Brahman and Atman, from Vedantic
traditions.

(b) Guru Granth Sahib — Guru Granth Sahib is the only scripture of its kind which
contains the songs, hymns and utterances of a wide variety of saints, sages and bards.
This shows that Guru Arjan Dev wanted to affirm the fundamental unity of all religions
and the unitary character of all mystic experience. It is indeed, magnificent compendium
of religions, mystic and metaphysical poetry written or uttered between the 12th and the
17th century in different parts of India. It is,also, at the same time, a mirror of the
sociological, economic and political conditions of those days. Guru Granth Sahib is
regarded by the Sikhs as a ‘Living Guru’ and as a spiritual guide not only for them but
for the entire humanity. They regard it as a ‘Living Guru’ that has all the answers
regarding religion and morality.The philosophy embodied in Guru Granth Sahib is that of
action, deed and consequence. It lay’s emphasis on shared communal experience and
the extinction of the ego or self is the corner-stone of its philosophy. It regards God as
omnipotent and omniscient. Guru Nanak Dev’s teachings : Guru Nanak preached the
gospel of Universal Brotherhood and religious tolerance. He exhorted the Hindus and
the Muslims to forget their differences, because he believed in the equality of all
religions.

Question 2.
Explain the importance of each of the following:
(a) Ajmer Sharief Dargah
(b) Historic merit of the St. Francis Assisi Church, Kochi.
Answer:
(a)
Ajmer Sharief Dargah — The dargah of Khwajah Moinuddin Chishti is one of the most
revered sites in India not only for the Muslims but also for the people of other faiths, who
hold the saint in high esteem. Every year thousands of people visit Ajmer Sharief
Dargah to pay reverence at the sanctified dargah. A yearly carnival, known as Urs is
held for six days in the honor of the beloved saint.
(b)
The Church has historic and aesthetic merit both. There are many types of services —
the baptism, marriages, etc. — that the Church provided and their record could be found
in Church’s Register from 1751 to 1804. For more than 40 years it was maintained in
the handwriting of the Minister of the Church, Predikant Comelies. During 1930s the
leaves of the Register were repair by handwriting experts in London. At present only
their photocopy, and not the original leaves, could be examined by persons visiting the
Church. The Clock on this Church was erected in the year 1923 in memory of Hal
Harrison Jones, the then Managing Director of Aspin wall and Company. There is in its
premises a Cenotaph, a monument or a War Memorial in memory of the residents of
Cochin who fell during the First World War.

Question 3.
Explain the significance (impact) of the Bhakti movement under the following heads:
(a) Ensuring Harmony between Hindus and Muslims.
(b) Preaching the fundamental Equality of all human beings.
(c) Promoting regional languages and Devotional Literature.
Answer:
The impact of the Bhakti movement under the given heads is explained as
under:

1. Ensuring Harmony between Hindus and Muslims: The Bhakti movement

became popular in the whole of India. The saints and reformers offered the people
a simple religion devoid of complicated rituals a religion, which required only
sincere devotion to God. They tried to reform Hinduism so that it could
successfully withstand the challenges of Islam and they also tried to ensure
harmony between the two communities—Hindus and Muslims in an atmosphere of
toleration and co-operation. The message of religious toleration made a profound
impression on Several Muslim rulers. They attracted many devotes from both the
communities and exercised a stabilizing influence on society.
 2. Preaching the fundamental Equality of all human beings: They tried to evolve
a new social order by following the principle of equality and by denouncing caste
distinctions. They exposed the futility of external rituals and set free the minds of
the people from the domination of the priests. Thus, the movement brought in not
only religious reforms, but also social changes.
3. Promoting regional languages and Devotional Literature: The Bhakti
reformers preached to the people in their mother-tongue and it provided an
impetus for the development of regional languages such as Hindi Bengali,Marathi,
Maithili, Gujarati etc. Their compositions rank very high in the devotional literature
of the world.

Question 4.
Explain the rise and significance of the Sufi Movement with reference to:
(a) Nizam-ud-Din Auliya’s main beliefs
(b) Impact of Sufism on Indian Society
Answer:
(a)
Nizam-ud-din believed that one could embrace God within this life by Talab (Deep
Desire for Union With God) and Fana (Destruction of Ego). Nizam-ud-din did not believe
in discrimination on grounds of religion, caste or sex. H9 said, “be generous to the
needy, the poor, the exploited and the oppressed.”
(b)
Sufism proved very helpful in birdging the gap between the followers of Hinduism and
Islam and encouraged the feeling of Hindu-Muslim unity to a considerable extent in the
following ways:

1. Sufism preached religious tolerance, brotherhood and oneness of God. Inspite of

the different rules of various religions, the ultimate aim is to reach the God.
2. Equality and brotherhood of all human beings irrespective of caste, colour, cread
and religion.
3. Sufism believed in unity of all religions, because every religion points out the
ultimate aim to reach the God and get his blessings.

Question 5.
Describe Francis Xavier’s missionary activities in India under the following headlines:
(a) His preachings among the pearl-fishers along the East Coast of Southern India.
(b) His love for children of born parents not legally married.
Answer:
(a)
Francis Xavier arrived in Goa in 1542. For the next three years he had been a Christian
preacher in India among the pearl-fishers along the East Coast of Southern India as
well as in northern areas of the Cape Comorin. His preaching made him immensely
popular among the Paravas, Katesars, kadaiyars and Mukkuvars. He had become a
missionary of great eminence and respectability among the Pattamkattiyars. Their
family-members had been the head of the Fisher Coast.
(b)
Many Children were bom of parents (Portuguese sailors and Indian women) who were
not legally married at that time. Francis Xavier gave such children instruction about
beliefs of the Christian Church. In order to save the Child from the slur of being called
‘an illegitimate child’, he tried to see that the child’s parents united themselves in holy
matrimony. Francis Xavier died in 1552. His embalmed body became the object of holy
pilgrimages.

Question 6.
No survey of the Bhakti movement can omit the names of great woman figures who left
the impression of their preaching upon future generations. In this context, explain briefly
the preaching.
(a) Lallesvari. (b) Mirabai.
Answer:
The names of the great women figures of the Bhakti movement can never be omitted.
In this context,the given heads are explained as follows:

(a) Lallesvari (1317-1372): She was a Kashmiri Saint, whose life is full of legeds and
miraculous deeds. She teaches that the path to God-realisationi lies in renouncement of
worldly possessions, intense love of the divine and rising above the distinctions of caste
and creed. She said, “I thought my mind to see the Lord in all my fellowmen. Do not
discriminate between a Hindu and a Musalman. Let us give up fraud and untruth. ”

(b) Mirabai (1450-1512): She was a Rajput princess married into the ruling family of
Mewar (Udaipur). A devotee of Lord Krishna since childhood, she continued to devote
her whole time to the Lord’s worship even after her marriage. She incurred her
husband’s displeasure and eventually, their marriage broke up. She wandered from
place to place singing her beautiful songs. One of her hymns goes thus : “People say
Mira has gone mad. I have myself become the eternal maid-servant of my ” Mira
reached Dwarka, where she composed many songs in Gujarati. Next to Narsi Mehta,
she is regarded as the greatest figure to contribute to devotional literature in Gujarati.
She had Raidas as her Guru. Her message was : “there is but one means to experience
Lord’s Divine Presence- that is Bhakti. ”

Question 7.
Name the book, where Kabir’s teachings are recorded.
Answer:
Bijak (the seed-book).

Question 8.
Mention two important aspects of the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Answer:
The two important aspects of the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are:
 1. He believed in on Supreme Being, whom he called Krishna or Hari and exhorted
others to have faith in Krishna.
2. He preached universal brotherhood and denounced all distinctions based on
Caste and Creed. He was opposed to the domination of the priestly class.

Question 9.
Who was Lallesvari? What are her teachings?
Answer:
Lallesvari was a Kashmiri Saint, whose life is full of legends and miraculous deeds. She
teaches that the path to God- realisation lies in renouncement of worldly possessions,
intense love of the divine and rising above the distginctions of caste and creed.

Question 10.
Explain the characteristics of Muslim architecture under these heads: Mosques and
Tombs.
Answer:
The characteristics of Muslim architecture under the given heads are explained
below:
Mosques and Tombs: The Muslim structures are of two types : religious and secular.
The religious structures are mosques and tombs. The mosque has an open courtyard
surrounded by a pillared verandah. For congregational prayer-hall having a reces
alcove called Mehrab in the western wall at the back of the hall. On the right side of the
Mehrab, stands pulpit and a minaret or tower above the walls from which Muazzin
summons the faithful to worship. Over the sanctuary, is the central dome. The tombs
are the resting places for the dead. The Tomb has a chamber, with a Mehrab in the
western wall. The whole structure is surmounted by a graceful dome. Underneath the
building, is the burial chamber with the grave (Kabr) in the center of it.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Short Answer Questions.

Question 1.
What is meant by the term composite culture ?
Answer:
The interaction of the Turks with the Indians with strong religious beliefs, art,
architecture and literature resdlted in a new composite culture known as the Indo-
Islamic culture. This culture was neither purely Persian (or Muslim) nor entirely Indian
(or Hindu), but a happy fusion of the best elements of the two.

Question 2.
Mention the two phases of the growth of Indo-Islamic culture.
Answer:
The two phases of the Indo-Islamic culture are the music and paintings.
Music: Music of India inherited the rich Arab tradition of music. Amir Khusrau,
introduced many Perso-Arabic ragas with the Indian tunes. He developed the style of
quwwalis and khayals. Music was patronised by several medieval rulers e.g. Gunyat-ut-
Munya, in 14th century, was the first work in Indian music by a Muslim scholar. Akbar
patronised 30 musicians, including Tansen. The famous musician composed many
ragas.
Paintings: The wall-paintings of Ajanta are the best example. In the reign of Akbar,
revival of paintings started. Out of 17 eminent artists employed by Akbar 13 were
Hindus. The painters were given the task of illustrating the Persian text of the
Mahabharata and Akbarnama. An unusual manuscript ‘Hamzanama’ has nearly 1200
paintings.

Question 3.
Mention any two factors which promoted composite culture during the Mughal Age.
Answer:
The following two factors were responsible for the growth of a composite culture
during the Mughal period:

1. The immense wealth and the unlimited power in the hands of the Mughal
emperors enabled them to continue their patronage of fine arts and literature.
They used their wealth and leisure to build palaces, forts and monuments.
2. The Mughal Emperors had a great sense of beauty and art. Each of them was
anxious to find an outlet for their expression in some visual arts.

Question 4.
Name the first work on Indian music compiled by a Islamic scholar.
Answer:
The first work on Indian music compiled by a Islamic scholar is ‘Gunyat-ut-Munya’.

Question 5.
Name the two Indian motifs used in Islamic architecture in India.
Answer:
The two Indian motifs used in Islamic architecture are swastika and lotus

Question 6.
Name a temple built on the arch and dome principle of Islamic architecture.
Answer:
The Golden Temple at Amritsar, was built on the arch and dome principle of the Islamic
architecture.

Question 7.
Mention any two features of Mughal Architecture.
Answer:
Two features of Mughal Architecture are:
 1. Pronounced dome on the top of the structure.
2. Entrance with rectangular opening under the arch.

Question 8.
Name any two poets who wrote in Urdu.
Answer:
Mir Dad and Mirza Ghalib.

Question 9.
What is meant by Sufism ? Name two Sufi saints.
Answer:
The word ‘Sufi’ has come from the Arabic word ‘Sufi meaning wool and was used for the
mystics who used to wear only a coarse woolen garment some scholars say, it is
derived from ‘Safa’, meaning purity. Sufis came to India with the Turkish invaders.
Sufism is a sect of religion preaching tolerance, brotherhood and oneness of God.
Two Sufi Saints were:

1. Hazarat Khwaja Muin-ud-Din Chisti.

2. Hazarat Khwaja Nizam-ud-Din Auliya of Delhi.

Question 10.
Mention any two doctrines of Sufism.
Answer:

1. fundamental unity of all religions.

2. Equality and brotherhood of all human beings.

Question 11.
What is known as Chishti Silsila ?
Answer:
The word ‘silsila’ literallymeansachain, signifying a continuous link between the master
and the disciple. The leader of the order was called the pir and the followers were called
the murids. A wali was nominated by the pir as his successor. Each Sufi order had a
hermitage where the sufi saints resided with their disciples. The sufi saints who settled
in India belonged to Chisti and Suhrawardi orders. –

Question 12.
Mention any two doctrines of Bhakti cult.
Answer:

1. God is one and must be worshiped with love and devotion.

2. Guru, an enlightened teacher is indispensable for realising God.
Question 13.
Who was Kabir ? Mention any two of his teachings ?
Answer:
Kabir was a disciple of the Bhakti saint Ramananda. He was bom in about AD 1398 of a
Brahmin widow and brought up by a Muslim weaver. He wanted to transform society by
promoting peace and harmony among different communities.
His teachings are as follows:

1. There is only one God. He may be worshiped under many names.

2. Devotion to God and good actions are the only means of salvation.
3. One must be free from dishonesty, insincerity and hypocrisy to reach God.

Question 14.
Mention any three teachings of Guru Nanak.
Answer:
The teachings of Guru Nanak are as follows:

1. Gum Nanak preached the unity of God and the unity of mankind.
2. He advocated devotion to God in place of ritualism.
3. He believed that “there is one God, His name is Eternal Truth. He is the maker of
all things”.
4. He condemned idolatry in all its forms.

Question 15.
Who was St. Francis Xavier ? What did he do to spread Christianity among Indians ?
Answer:
St. Francis Xavier was bom on April 7, 1506 in the castle of Xavier in Spain. In 1537 he
received the Holy orders. In 1541 he storted his missionary Journey towards India and
landed at Goa in 1542. He would go through the streets ringing a little bell and inviting
the children to hear the word of God. When he had gathered a large number of people,
he would take them to a church and explain the beliefs related to Christianity to them.

Question 16.
Mention any two steps taken by the Christian missionaries to spread the belief of
Christianity through language and literature.
Answer:

1. The missionaries in order to understand and be understood by the Indian people

brought out grammars and dictionaries of the Indian languages.
2. St. Francis Xavier learnt the language of Malabar and brought out a manual of
grammar and a vocabulary which helped the Jesuits and other missionaries to
learn the language of the people of Malabar.
II. Structured Questions:

Question 1(a).
Explain briefly the Indo-Islamic culture. How can you say that it was a composite culture
?
Answer:
The establishment of the Delhi Sultanate towards the beginning of the 13th century,
marked the beginning of a new phase in the cultural development of the country. The
interaction of the Turks with the Indians, who had strong religious beliefs and well-
developed ideas on art, architecture and literature, resulted in the development of a new
composite culture, called the Indo- Islamic culture. This culture was neither purely
Persian or Muslim nor entirely Indian or Hindu, but a happy fusion of the best elements
of the two.There are two distinct phases of the growth of this culture — the Sultanate
phase and the Mughal phase. The Sultanate phase was marked by the emergence of
the fusion of the Indian traditions with the Turkish culture, whereas the Mughal phase
marked the consolidation of this composite culture. There are various states and cities
depicting this culture through common traditions, language, architecture and thoughts
e.g. Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad are the main examples.

Question 1(b).
What were the factors that led to the emergence of composite culture during the Mughal
Age ?
Answer:
The following factors were responsible for the growth of a composite culture
during the Mughal period:

1. The immense wealth and the unlimited power in the hands of the Mughal
emperors enabled them to continue their patronage of fine arts and literature.
They used their wealth and leisure to build palaces, forts and monuments.
2. The Mughal Emperors had a great sense of beauty and art. Each of them was
anxious to find an outlet for their expression in some visual arts. The glorious and
rich cultural heritage of the Mughals on the one hand, and the Indians on the other
hand, created a unique atmosphere for the brilliant output of letters and fine arts.

Question 1(c).
What were the salient features of Indo-Islamic architecture ?
Answer:
Islamic architecture added spaciousness, massiveness and majesty to the Indian
architecture. The geometrical and floral designs with verses from Quran were another
additional features to the buildings. The design of golden Kalash (the ornate lotus
cresting) at the top of the temples was adopted by Muslims.
Question 2.
With reference to the composite culture, state briefly the impact of this culture on the
following:
(a) Literature. (b) Architecture (c) Paintings
Answer:
(a) Literature — Language and literature also saw the influence of the two traditions.
The language which the Mughal rulers used in the administration was Persian. Through
the Persian language, India was able to develop close cultural relations with Central
Asia and Iran. In course of time, Persian became the language of administration and the
language of the upper classes .The greatest linguistic synthesis is seen in the
development of Urdu, which is a mixture of Perisan, Arabic, Hindi and other regional
languages. Urdu was originally known as ‘Zaban-e- Hindvi’ because its grammatical
structure is similar to that of Hindi.
(b) Architecture— The fusion of two cultures is more profound in the field of
architecture. Though the Indian and Islamic systems of art were fundamentally different
in their ideas and techniques, they were mingled together to give rise to a new type of
Indo-Islamic architecture.
The significant features adopted by the two from each other were the following:

1. The Islamic architecture added to the Indian architecture the special

characteristics of spaciousness, massiveness, majesty and width.
2. In the sphere of decoration, the Turks avoided representation of human and
animal figures in the buildings. Instead, they used geometrical and floral designs,
combining them with panel s of inscriptions containing verses from the Holy
Quran. They also borrowed Indian motifs like swastika, bell, lotus, etc.
3. The design of the golden kalash at the top of the shikhara of temples was adopted
by the Muslims in placing a stone kalash on the domes of mosques and tombs.
4. Many temples of Vrindavan assimilated the Mughal style of architecture.
5. The Mughal traditions influenced the palaces and forts of many provincial and
local kingdoms. For example, the Golden Temple at Amritsar, was built on the
arch and dome principle of the Islamic architecture and incorporated some
features of the incorporated some features of the Mughal traditions of architecture.

(c) Paintings — During the reign of Akbar, there was a fusion of Persian and Indian
style of painting. Painting was organised in one of the imperial establishments
(karkhanas) and a number of painters from different parts of the country were made to
paint. Out of 17 eminent artists employed by Akbar, 13 were Hindus. Besides illustrating
Persian books of tables,the painters were given the task of illustrating the Persian text
of the Mahabharata and Akbarnama. In these paintings,Indian themes and scenes were
used along with Indian colours like peacock blue and the Indian red. The most important
work produced during the Mughal period is an unusual manuscript, Dastan-i-Amir
Hamza or Hamzanama, which has nearly 1200 paintings
Question 3.
Sufism was a liberal reform movement within Islam With reference to Sufism write short
notes on the following:
(a) Devotion to God
(b) Caste distinctions
(c) Unity of all religions
Answer:
(a)
Sufism preached religious tolerance, brotherhood and oneness of God. Inspite of the
different rules of various religions, the ultimate aim is to reach the God. So earnest
devotion to God is essential.
(b)
Equality and brotherhood of all human beings irrespective of caste, colour, cread and
religion.
(c)
Sufism believed in unity of all religions, because every religion points out the ultimate
aim to reach the God and get his blessings.

Question 4.
Summarise the impact of Bhakti movement with regard to:
(a) Equality of all human beings.
(b) Fostering unity and harmony between different communities.
(c) Promoting regional languages and devotional literature.
Answer:
(a)
All are equal before God. Dignity of man depends on his actions. Universal brotherhood
was the aim of Bhakti movement.
(b)
All Hindus and Muslims devoted Sufi saints. People respected and followed the
teachings of Sufi saints like, Kabir, Rahim etc. and worshiped the works of Tulsidas and
Surdas. The songs of Mirabai were cherished by Hindus and Muslims too. Akbar also
went to hear the devotional songs of Mirabai.
(c)
The Bhakti saints preached in the language of the people.Languages such as Hindi,
Bhojpuri, Maithili and Oriya became popular. Among important literary works of this
period were Ramcharit Manas by Tulsidas, Gurmukhi literature of the Sikh Gurus and
the Vaishnava literature in Bengal. The teachings of Kabir, Guru Nanak, Ravidas helped
reform Indian society. They tried to evolve a new social order by following the principle
of equality and by denouncing caste distinctions. By exposing the futility of empty
rituals, they did away with the domination of priests. Thus, the Bhakti movement brought
in social changes.
5. With reference to the influence of Christianity during the Mughal period,
answer the following questions:

Question 5 (a).
Explain the role played by St. Francis Xavier and Robert de Nobili in spreading
Christianity in India.
Answer:
St. Francis Xavier became the first Jesuit missionary to arrive in India in 1542. He was
followed by Robert de Nobili in 1605. Both these missionaries played a significant role in
spreading Christianity in India.St. Francis Xavier was bom on April 7, 1506 in the castle
of Xavier in Spain. St. Xavier displayed zeal and charity in attending to the sick in
hospitals. In 153 7, he received the Holy orders. In 1541, he started his missionary
journey towards India and landed at Goa in 1542. He spent the first five months in
preaching and attending to the sick in hospitals. He would go through the streets ringing
a little bell and inviting the children to hear the word of God. When he had gathered a
large number of people, he would take them Christianity to them. Robert de Nobili was
bom at Tuscany in September 1577. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1597 and sailed
for India in October 16.04. He arrived at Goa in 1605. After a short stay Cochin, he took
residence in Madurai in November 1606. He learnt Sanskrit, Tamil and Telugu and
studied Indian philosophy and religious literature. He separated himself from his fellow
missionaries and adopted the dress, diet and manner of the life of an ascetic. These
methods won him a number of followers from the upper castes. His way of life aroused
the opposition of his fellow missionaries. He was accused of watering down Christianity
and had to defend himself before the Archbishop of Goa. He did this so ably that he
received the permission from the Pope to continue his way of life.

Question 5(b).
Explain the role of Christian missionaries in promoting language, literature and art in
India.
Answer:
The Christian missionaries spread Christianity in India and played a significant role in
promoting language, literature and art.

1. The missionaries in order to understand and be understood by the Indian people

brought out grammars and dictionaries of the Indian languages.
2. St. Francis Xavier learnt the language of Malabar and brought out a manual of
grammar and a vocabulary which helped the Jesuits and other missionaries to
learn the language of the people of Malabar.
3. The English Jesuit, Thomas Stephens, brought out an epic in Konkani and a
grammar book. Diogo Ribeiro, another English missionary, wrote a grammar book
and booklets on Christian doctrines.
4. The Missionaries, besides working in language and literature, contributed to other
arts. They began teaching Western music in Church schools in India. Apart from
music, they also taught dance and instrumental music. Many churches had music
 schools, so that in every church hymns were sung, accompanied by organ and
instruments.
5. The Missionaries and the Church were also teachers and patrons in India of the
arts of painting, carving and sculpture. Most of the paintings were religious in
theme and adorned the Churches. These paintings influenced the Mughals.
Portuguese, English and Mughal records show the interest of Akbar and Jahangir
in Christian works of arts.
6. The Missionaries were the best interpreters of India to the Western world with their
popular letters from the mission field.

6. With reference to the given pictures, answer the following:

Question 6(a).
Name the Bhakti Saints given in the pictures. Where were they born ?
Answer:
Kabir was born in Banaras and Guru Nanak Dev Ji was bom in Talwandi, Nankana
Sahib.

Question 6(b).
Mention any two teachings of each these two saints.
Answer:
Teachings of Kabir:

1. There is only one God. He may be worshiped under many names.

2. All men are equal before God.
3. There are no caste distinctions and no supremacy of the priestly class.
4. He denounced idol worship, empty rituals, meaningless ceremonies and
pilgrimages to holy places.

Teaching of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

 1. Guru Nanak preached the unity of God.
2. He advocated devotion to God in place of ritualism.
3. He advocated a middle path in which spiritual life could be combined with the
duties of the householders.
4. He condemned idolatry in all its forms.

Question 6(c).
How did the Sufi and the Bhakti movements foster the growth of Indo-Islamic culture.
Answer:
Role of Sufism:

1. It fostered the feelings of Hindu-Muslim unity.

2. Sufism made its influence on the poets of the period, like Amir Khusro and Malik
Mushammed Jayasi, who composed poems in Persian and Hindi in praise of Sufi
principles.

Role of Bhakti Movement

1. Bhakti saints preached universal brotherhood and emphasised equality of all men.
2. The Bhakti saints preached in the language of the people. Languages such as
Hindi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and Oriya became popular. Among important literary
works of this period were Ramcharit Manas by Tulsidas, Gurmukhi literature of the
Sikh Gurus and the Vaishnava literature in Bengal.