History

Devotional Paths to the Divine

Question:

Who were the Pulaiyar and the Panars?

Answer:

They were considered untouchables

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Devotional Paths to the Divine

Q 1.

Name the two sets of compilations of Nayanar's songs.

Q 2.

How many Alvars were there?

Q 3.

Who were Sufis?

Q 4.

Why do you think many teachers rejected prevalent religious beliefs and practices?

Q 5.

What was known as dharmsal?

Q 6.

The songs are as much a creation of the saints as of generations of people who sang them.' Explain.

Q 7.

Why do you think ordinary people preserved the memory of Mirabai?

Q 8.

Who was Ramanuja? What are the main points of his preachings?

Q 9.

Match the following:
The Buddha                      –    namghar
Shankaradeva                  –    worship of Vishnu
Nizamuddin Auliya        –   questioned social differences  
Nayanars                          –  Sufi saint
Alvars                               –  worship of Shiva

Q 10.

There are severed saint-poets whose names have been mentioned but their works have not been included in the chapter. Find out more about the language in which they composed, whether their compositions were sung and what their compositions were about.

Q 11.

Name any two great Sufis of Central Asia .

Q 12.

Who compiled the compositions of Baba Guru Nanak?

Q 13.

What did the terms nam', dan' and isnan' mean?    [V. Imp.]

Q 14.

Who was Kabir? How do we know about him?

Q 15.

For any of the saint-poets whose compositions have been included in this chapter, find out more about their works, noting down other poems. Find out whether these are sung, how they are sung, and what the poets wrote about

Q 16.

What were the major ideas expressed by Kabir? How did he express these?

Q 17.

What is Guru Granth Sahib?

Q 18.

For either the Virashaivas or the saints of Maharashtra, discuss their attitude towards caste.

Q 19.

What is abhang?

Q 20.

Who were the Pulaiyar and the Panars?

Q 21.

Name any two saints of Maharashtra.

Q 22.

What were the major teachings of Baba Guru Nanak?

Q 23.

Fill in the blanks:
(a) Shankara was an advocate of…………..
(b) Ramanuja was influenced by the ………….
(c)  , ………..  and ………. were advocates of Virashaivism.
(d) ….. was an important centre of the Bhakti tradition in Maharashtra.

Q 24.

What did Ramanuja propound?

Q 25.

Who were the followers of Baba Guru Nanak?

Q 26.

Why did the Mughal emperor Jahangir order the execution of Guru Aijan in 1606?

Q 27.

Describe the beliefs and practices of the Nathpanthis, Siddhas and Yogis.

Q 28.

Name the set of compilation of Alvars' songs.

Q 29.

To whom did Baba Guru Nanak appoint as his successor?

Q 30.

What did the Puranic stories consist of? [V. Imp.]

Q 31.

Write a brief note on new religious developments in north India. [V. Imp.]

Q 32.

What are namghars?

Q 33.

Find out whether in your neighbourhood there are any dargahs, gurudwaras or temples associated with saints of the Bhakti tradition in your neighbourhood. Visit any one of these and describe what you see and hear.

Q 34.

What do you mean by Khanqahs? What purpose did it serve?

Q 35.

Write in brief about the ideas of Shankara and Ramanuja.

Q 36.

Who were the Nayanars and Alvars? Write about them in brief. [V. Imp.]

Q 37.

What were the major beliefs and practices of the Sufis?

Q 38.

Why was the Mughal emperor Jahangir hostile to the Sikh community? How did the Sikh movement gain momentum?    [V. Imp.]