Goa Board Class 7 Solutions for History – Devotional Paths to the Divine (English Medium)
Page No. 120:
Question 1:
The Buddha |
Namghar |
Shankaradeva |
Worship of vishnu |
Nizamuddin Auliya |
Questioned Social differences |
Nayanars |
Sufi Saint |
Alvars |
Worship of Shiva |
Solution :
The Buddha |
Questioned Social differences |
Shankaradeva |
Namghar |
Nizamuddin Auliya |
Sufi Saint |
Nayanars |
Worship of Shiva |
Alvars |
Worship of Vishnu |
Question 2:
(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.
Solution :
(a) Shankara was an advocate of advaita.
(b) Ramanuja was influenced by the Alvars.
(c) Basavanna, Allama Prabhu and Akkamahadevi were advocates of Virashaivism.
(d) Vitthala temple was an important centre of the Bhakti tradition in Maharashtra.
Question 3:
Describe the beliefs and practices of the Nathpanthis, Siddhas and Yogis.
Solution :
The Nathpanthis, Siddhas and Yogis were religious sects that criticised ritualism and other conservative aspects of religion and the social order. They advocated renunciation of the world for self-realisation and insisted that salvation could be achieved by meditating on the formless ‘ultimate reality’ and the realisation of the oneness with it. They stressed upon the importance of intense training of body and mind through yogasanas, meditation and breathing exercises. All three sects held considerable sway over lower castes and contributed towards the popularity of devotional religion in northern India.
Question 4:
What were the major ideas expressed by Kabir? How did he express these?
Solution :
Kabir is well known for his utter and comprehensive rejection of the major religious traditions of his times. He ridiculed all forms of external worship professed by Hinduism and Islam, the preeminence of the priestly class and the distinctions of caste. He believed in and professed the concept of a formless ‘Supreme God’. According to him, the only path to salvation was through devotion or ‘bhakti’. He expressed these ideas through verses called sakhis and pads.
Page No. 121:
Question 5:
What were the major beliefs and practices of the Sufis?
Solution :
Sufis were actually Muslim mystics who repudiated outward religiosity and emphasised on love and devotion to God coupled with compassion for all human beings. They sought a complete union with God, like a lovelorn person. They insisted that the heart could be trained to look at the world differently and insisted on the futility of the detailed rituals and codes of behavior prescribed by Muslim clerics. The Sufis composed poems that expressed their spiritual beliefs and developed several methods of training using ‘Zikr’ (chanting of a name or sacred formula), contemplation, sama (singing) raqs (dancing), discussion of parables, breath control, etc. All of this was done under the guidance of a master or ‘pir’.
Question 6:
Why do you think many teachers rejected prevalent religious beliefs and practices?
Solution :
Many of the prevalent religious practices and beliefs perpetuated social differences and instituted cumbersome social protocols. As a result, many of the teachers sought to reject these. To this purpose, they advocated equality across caste distinctions and opposed the Brahmanical ideas about caste and the treatment meted out to women. They stood against the practice of idol worship and ritualism and encouraged devotional religions.
Question 7:
What were the major teachings of Baba Guru Nanak?
Solution :
Baba Guru Nanak insisted on the importance of the worship of one true God. He believed that caste, creed or gender is irrelevant in the context of a true liberation from worldly matters. According to him, liberation is not a state of inert bliss but the pursuit of an active life with an acute sense of social commitment. He prescribed the motto of ‘nam, dan, insane’, which meant right worship, social welfare and complete purity of conduct.
Question 8:
For either the Virashaivas or the sants of Maharashtra, discuss their attitude towards caste.
Solution :
Both the Virshaivas as well as the saints of Maharashtra supported complete equality of all human beings. They stood steadfastly against the brahmanical concepts of caste and social distinctions and appealed for spiritual equality and social mobility across caste barriers.
Question 9:
Why do you think ordinary people preserved the memory of Mirabai?
Solution :
Mirabai was the disciple of Ravidas, a saint hailing from a caste considered as ‘untouchable’ in Hinduism. Mirabai was devoted to Lord Krishna and composed many bhajans expressing her intensely felt devotion to the almighty. Ordinary people have strived to preserve her memory because her songs openly and comprehensively challenged upper caste privileges. This gave immense popularity to Mirabai among the common populace.