Day: August 26, 2017

Write a short essay on: “The Sufi Movement and its role in promoting communal harmony.”  OR Write a short essay on: “Sufi Movements”  OR Write a short essay on: “Sufism in North India” ©selfstudyhistory.com Ans: The medieval period witnessed the rise and development of a large number of Muslim religious movements, mystic organizations, religious cults […]

Evaluate the impact of the Sufi and Bhakti Movements on vernacular languages and life and thought of the common people. ©selfstudyhistory.com Ans: Evaluating the impact of the Sufi and Bhakti Movements on vernacular languages: The bhakti and Sufi saints challenged the sanctity of ancient Indian scriptures and Sanskrit language, which had become unintelligible to the […]

Write a short essay on: “Chaitanyadeva and Vaishnavism” ©selfstudyhistory.com Ans: One of the greatest saints of the bhakti movement was Chaitanya, who was born in a Brahmin family of Nadia in Bengal in 1485. He showed great promise as a student and mastered all branches of Sanskrit learning. He became an ascetic at the age […]

Discuss and evaluate critically various trends in the historiography of Bhakti. ©selfstudyhistory.com Ans: R.G. Bhandarkar and R.C. Zaehner were among the first historians to work on the Bhakti movement. Bhandarkar showed the movement as indigenous in character. He gave literary and epigraphic evidences like the antiquities of Krishna Worship. Zaehner’s view was that the movement […]

Evaluate the contribution of Vaishnava saints to the growth of medieval Bhakti literature. ©selfstudyhistory.com Ans: Evaluating the contribution of Vaishnava Bhakti Movements on medieval Bhakti literature:- TheVaishnava bhakti saints preached throughvernaculars and in the local dialects of the people, which could beeasily understood by them. The theme of Bhakti contributed to the growth of the […]

“Tantrism, if not in practice, at last on conception level challenged patriarchy.” Examine Tantrism specially keeping in mind the above context. ©selfstudyhistory.com Ans: Tantrism, so-called after its compositions, the Tantras, became widely practised from about the eighth century when it gradually surfaced throughout the subcontinent. It upholds a belief and practice contrary to Vedic Brahmanism. […]

Write a short essay on: “Architecture of the Vijayanagara Empire.” ©selfstudyhistory.com Ans: The establishment of the powerful state of Vijayanagara Empire in 14th century filled the political vacuum in southern India and left a permanent impression in the fields of administration, culture, religion, art and architecture. These contributions are more focused on promoting Hindu Religion […]

Write a short essay on: “Hemu vikramaditya” ©selfstudyhistory.com Ans: Hemu was a Hindu, born into a humble family. He rose to become Chief of the Army and Prime Minister to Adil Shah Suri of the Suri Dynasty. He was the greatest rival of Akbar at the time of death of Humayun. Hemu was a man […]