IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : India History From 8th to Mid 15th Century - Religious Ideas and Movements

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

History India From 8th to Mid 15th Century

Religious Ideas and Movements

Structure

29.0 Objectives
29.1 Introduction
29.2 Bhakti Movement
29.2.1 Ideology
29.2.2 Major Schools
29.2.3 Impact of the Bhakti Movement
29.3 Mysticism
29.3.1 Sun Philosophy
29.3.2 Doctrinal Texts
29.3.3 Major Silsilas
29.3.4 Mahdavi Movement
29.4 Islamic Revivalist Movement in the Eighteenth Century
29.5 Let Us Sum Up
29.6 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

29.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this. unit you will be able to know about :

the ideology of the Bhakti movement;
the major schools of the Bhakti movement;
the impact of the Bhakti movement on society, literature, etc.;
Islamic mysticism. Sufi philosophy and the major sufi-Silsilas,
the character and philosophy of the Mahdavi movement, and
the nature of revivalist movements in the 18th century.

29.1 INTRODUCTION

The religious, milieu of India when Isiam reached this subcontinent, presents a phase
where Buddhism had lost its supremacy, Brahmanism was trying to consolidate its
position by compromising with Buddhist doctrines as well as with pre-Aryan
practices. Islam though altogether a new thing, had exercised an influence upon the
Indians with its principles of universal brotherhood and human equality. In the words
of Tarachand "Not only did Hindu religion, Hindu art, Hindu literature and Hindu
Science, absorb Muslim elements, but the very spirit of Hindu culture and the very
stuff of Hindu mind were also altered, and the Muslim reciprocated by responding
to the change in every development of life". An everlasting process of give and take,
thus began. Among the Muslims, Al-Biruni, Amir Khusrau, Abul Fazl, Dara Shikoh,
etc., tried to understand Hinduism and made valuable attempts to enhance Muslim
understanding of Hinduism by their own works and by translating Sanskrit works into
Persian. Rulers like Feroze Shah Tughlaq, Zainul Abidin of Kashmir, Sikandar Lodi,
Akbar, Jahangir etc. encouraged this trend with the result that scholars like Mirza
Jan Janan rose in the 18th century to declare that both Rama and Krishna were
prophets.
During this period one can identify two significant trends in the realm of' religion,
mainly Bhakti and Sufi, a detailed discussion on which follows in the subsequent
sections.