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Composite Culture Medieval India Indo Islamic Culture - Coggle Diagram
Composite Culture
Medieval India
Indo Islamic Culture
Meaning of Composite Culture
The interaction of the Turks with the Indians, who had definite religious beliefs and well-established ideas on art, architecture and literature, led to the development of a new composite cultuI know this culturenown as the I
ndo–Islamic culture
Composite Culture is a fusion of the best elements of both, Persian and Indian Culture. It is neither purely Persian, nor is it purely Indian.
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.
The Mughal phase marked the consolidation of this composite culture.
Sources
Bijak (the Seed Book)
Verses of Kabir
The word “Bijak” means an anthology / guide or compilation.
The Bījak is the sacred book of the Kabir Panth, or sect devoted to Kabir’s teachings.
Kabir Panthis are a mixed community of ascetics and common householders from humble backgrounds who were ardent Kabir followers and collected his works for documentation.
Due to the visibility of the Panth, the Kabir collection best known to westerners in the early twentieth century was the Bijak
The Bījak includes three main sections called Ramainī, Śabda, and Sākhī, and a fourth section containing miscellaneous folksong forms.
Kabir’s words were primarily in two literary genres: rhymed couplets (known as doha, sakhi or shlok) and lyric poems (shabda, shabad, pad or bhajan), in addition to the ramaini and folk song forms.
The lyric poems, commonly known as bhajans, vary in meter and are usually six to eighteen lines in length, while the couplets are comprised of four half-lines
IMP- Sakhi- is composed in the doha or couplet form.
Ramaini - is usually based on a musical raga. It is descriptive and lengthy in character. It is usually written in a metre called Chaupai.
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’s teachings according to Bijak
There is only one God, he may be worshipped under many names.
Devotion to God and good actions are the only means of salvation.
One must be free from dishonesty, insincerity and hypocrisy to reach God.
There are no caste distinctions and no supremacy of the priestly class.
He denounced idol worship, empty rituals, meaningless ceremonies and pilgrimages to holy places.
Bijak presents Kabir’s compositions in a simple style and exhorts his listeners to shed their delusions, pretensions and orthodox views in favour of a direct experience of truth.
Guru Granth Sahib
Compositions of Sikh Gurus.
The fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, compiled Guru Nanak Dev’s hymns along with those of his four successors and other religious preachers like Baba Farid, Ravidas and Kabir in the Adi Granth Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab.
Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, included the compositions of the ninth Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur and a couplet of his own and this scripture was called the Guru Granth Sahib.
The entire Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script.
It is divided into two sections :
Introductory section composed by Guru Nanak.
Compositions of Sikh gurus, followed by those of other saints and mystics, collected according to the chronology of ragas or musical settings.
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 experiences.
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.
The Guru Granth Sahib is considered by the Sikhs 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.
Guru Nanak’s Teachings:
Guru Nanak preached the unity of God and the unity of mankind.
He advocated devotion to God in place of ritualism.
He believed that “there is one god, his name is Eternal Truth, He is the maker of all things. “
He emphasised the importance of devotion to God and the repetition of Satnam( God’s name) which should combine with meditation. It is the only means by which a soul can be saved from the cycle of birth and rebirth.
Like Kabir, he believed that personal devotion to one God could lead to salvation regardless of caste, creed or sect.
He advocated a middle path in which spiritual life can be combined with the duties of a householder.
He exhorted people to give up hypocrisy and insincerity and lead a life of truth and honesty
He condemned idolatry in all its forms.
Ajmer Sharief
Holy Shrine of the Sufi Saint, Khwajah Moinuddin Chishti.
Ajmer Sharief is the Holy Shrine of the Sufi saint, Khwajah Moinuddin Chishti, located at Ajmer in Rajasthan.
He came to India with Mahmud of Ghazni and made Ajmer his headquarters till his death in AD 1236.
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 to pay reverence to the sanctified dargah.
A yearly carnival known as Urs is held for six days in the honour of the beloved saint.
St Francis Church Kochi
The oldest European Church in India.
Originally built in 1503, it is the oldest European Church in India.
When Vasco da Gama died in India, (on his third visit to India) his body was originally buried in this church, but after fourteen years his remains were moved to Lisbon.
Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route from Europe to India, and landed at Kappad near Kozhikode(Calicut) in 1498.
Along with the other European explorers,like Pedro Alvares Cabral and Alfonso de Albuquerque, they built a fort at Kochi with permission from the Raja of Cochin.
It is believed that the Anglicans changed the name of the Church to St. Francis Church after the Dutch voluntarily handed over the Church to the Anglican sect.
St Francis Assisi was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and preacher. On the eve of setting out for a battle, he experienced a vision which caused him to abandon his ambition for military glory.
He embarked on a preaching ministry. The small church of the Protiuncola near Assisi which he and his companions rebuilt with their own hands, became their base from where they constantly travelled.
The Order of Friars Minor, a religious society grew rapidly and started sending missions beyond Italy to other countries in the Mediterranean area.
Francis died on October 3rd, 1226, and on July 16th 1228 he was pronounced a saint by Pope Gregory IX, and the next day the Pope laid the foundation stone for the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi.
Many churches dedicated to St Francis Assisi were built all over India.
Significance of Bhakti Movements and Sufism
Q. What did the saints of the Sufi and Bhakti movement lay stress upon?
The spirit of tolerance and mutual influence which resulted in the blossoming of the Indo - Islamic Culture led to the development of two liberal religious reforms movements in India- the Sufi and the Bhakti movements.
A number of Sufi and Bhakti saints emphasised the essential unity of Islam and Hinduism, and laid stress on a religion based on love and devotion rather than one based on rituals.
They thus created an atmosphere in which liberal sentiments and views could grow and religious narrowness was shunned.
The Sufi and Bhakti movements played an important role in fostering the Indo - islamic Culture.
Bhakti means Devotion to GOD.
Doctrines of Bhakti Cult:
Q. Can you list at least three doctrines of the Bhakti Cult?
God is one. He must be worshipped with love and devotion
Blind faith, empty ceremonies and external rites are not to be followed. By following the path of true devotion, one can find Salvation.
All are equal before God.Dignity of man depends on his actions, and not on his privileges of birth
Universal brotherhood of humanity is a reality to be accepted.
Guru, an enlightened teacher is indispensable for realising God
Man can reach God only through absolute surrender to him.
One must avoid caste and class distinctions.
Impact of Bhakti Movement:
Q. How did the Bhakti movement help to reform Indian society?
Bhakti Saints preached universal brotherhood and equality of all men.
They preached in the language of the people.
Their teachings helped reform Indian society.
Kabir, Guru Nanak and Ravidas tried to evolve a new Social order by following the principles of equality and by denouncing caste distinctions.
By exposing the futility of empty rituals, they did away with the domination of priests.
Bhakti Saints: Mirabai, Jnaneshwar
Bhakti Literary works : Ram Charit Manas by Tulsidas
Gurmukhi Literature of the Sikh Gurus
Vaishnava Literature in Bengal
Mirabai
Mirabai was a Rajasthani Princess of Merwar who lived during the time of Mughal ruler Akbar. She renounced the world and became a devotee of Lord krishna. Her devotional songs (bhajans) made her popular. Her brilliant poetry is known as Padavali. In her poetry, she portrays a deep personal association with Lord krishna.
Jnaneshwar
13th Century Saint, poet and philosopher from Maharashtra.
-He learnt and mastered the philosophy and various techniques of Kundalini Yoga from his elder brother. At the age of 15 he is said to have delivered 9000 verses of his commentary on the Bhagvad Gita, called the Jnaneshwari, also called the Bhavartha Dipika. He wrote a treatise on his spiritual experience; called the Amritanubhava. In 1296, Sant Jnaneshwar took samadhi at Alandi.
Q. Name any two literary works of the Bhakti period.
Sufism
:
The word ‘Sufi’ has come from the Arabic word Suf meaning wool and was used for the mystics who used to wear only a coarse woollen garment. According to some scholars, the word sufi has been derived from safa, meaning purity.
Sufis came to India with the Turkish rulers. They started a movement preaching religious tolerance, brotherhood and oneness of God. They believed that all religions were different paths of reaching the same God.
They were organised into 12 orders or Silsila, the leader of the order was called a Pir and the followers were called murids. A wali was nominated by the pir as his successor.
Each Sufi order had Khanqah or hermitage where the Sufi saints resided with their disciples.
The Sufi saints who settled in India belonged to Chishti and Suhrawardi orders.
Doctrines of Sufism
Fundamental unity of all religions.
One can reach God through personal devotion and not through empty rituals.
Individual soul is the manifestation of the Supreme god and human soul would finally merge with it.
Equality and brotherhood of all human beings irrespective of caste, colour, creed and religion.
Inner purity and self discipline are essential for gaining knowledge of God.
Impact of Sufism:
It fostered the feelings of HIndu -Muslim Unity
Many principles of Sufism were similar to the Bhakti cult. It led to the popularity of the Bhakti movement.
Sufism played a great role in promoting feelings of tolerance among the rulers.
People irrespective of their religion, began to appreciate and understand other faiths.
Sufism influenced the poets of this period, like Amir Khusro and Malik Muhammed Jayasi, who composed poems in Persian and Hindi in praise of Sufi principles.
Famous Sufi Saint: Hazrat Nizamuddin.(Chishti Order)
He believed in drawing closer to God through renunciation of the world and service to humanity.
He was a disciple of the Sufi saint, Baba Farid from Ajodhan in Pakistan. On his third visit to Ajodhan, Baba Farid made him his successor. When Baba Farid died, Hazrat Nizamuddin built his Khanqah in Delhi.
At his Khanqah, people from all walks of life were fed and imparted spiritual education. Before long the Khanqah was thronged with all kinds of people, rich and poor alike.
Hazrat stressed Love as a means of realising God. For him love of God implied a love of humanity. His vision of the world was marked by a highly evolved sense of secularity and kindness.
Nizamuddin’s Key beliefs:
Renunciation and complete trust in God.
The unity of mankind and the shunning of distinctions based on social, economic and religious status.
Helping the needy , feeding the hungry and being sympathetic to the oppressed.
Strong disapproval of mixing with the Sultans, the princes and nobles.
An uncompromising attitude towards all forms of political and social oppression.
His Shrine, the Nizamuddin Dargah, is located in Delhi and the present structure was built in 1562. It becomes a place for special congregation during the Urs, (death anniversary) of Hazrat Nizamuddin and Amir Khusro.
Influence of Christianity
Christian Missionaries and the Influence of Christianity in India:
The arrival of Vasco da Gama in Calicut in 1498 was a landmark in the history of Christianity in India.
The visits of the Roman Catholic missions in India became more organized and were initially confined to the coastal areas in the South of India.
St. Francis Xavier became the first Jesuit missionary to arrive in India in 1542. He played a significant role in spreading Christianity in India.
He spent his time in India in preaching and attending to the sick in hospitals. St. Francis Xavier worked relentlessly for ten years in India, and preached the essentials of Christianity.
He died on December 2nd, when he was on an sea voyage to China. One year later when his body was brought back to Goa, it is said that it was still as fresh as it was on the day of burial
It is now enshrined in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa.
Impact of Christian missionaries.
spread Christianity in India and promoted language, art and literature.
Brought out a manual of grammar and vocabulary which helped the Jesuits and other people to learn the language of the people of Malabar.
The jesuit priests wrote many books in Konkani, and wrote books and booklets on Christian doctrines.
The Missionaries began to teach western music, dance and instrumental music in church schools in India.
The missionaries were also teachers and patrons of the art of painting, carving and sculpture. The paintings were religious in theme and adorned the Churches,
The Church provided the earliest introduction to European architectural ideas in India.
The Missionaries were the best interpreters of India to the western world, with their popular letters from the mission field.