8. Devotional Paths To The Divine

Ncert solution for class 7 social science HISTORY chapter-08.

Question 1. Match the following:-

Answer:

The Buddha – Questioned social differences
Shankaradeva – Namghar
Nizamuddin Auliya – Sufi saint
Nayanars – Worship of Shiva
Alvars – Worship of Vishnu

Question 2. 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.

Answer: (a) Advaita
(b) Alvars
(c) Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, Akkamahadevi
(d) Pandharpur

Question 3. Describe the beliefs and practices of the Nathpanthis, Siddhas, and Yogis.
Answer:
Beliefs and Practices of the Nathpanthis, Siddhas, and Yogis

1. Criticism of ritual and other aspects of conventional religion.

2. Renunciation of the world.

3. Path of salvation in meditation on the formless.

4. Ultimate reality and realisation of oneness.

Question 4. What were the major ideas expressed by Kabir? How did he express these?
Answer:
Major ideas expressed by Kabir and his way of expressing them:

1. Rejection of orthodox religion and religious traditions.

2. Religion was is accessible to all.

3. No caste system.

4. Belief in formless God.

5. He expressed his ideas through couplets.

Question 5. What were the major beliefs and practices of the Sufis?

Answer:

· Sufis were Muslim mystics. They rejected outward religiosity and gave emphasis on love and devotion to God. They inspired people to be compassionate towards all fellow human beings.

· They rejected idol worship and considerably simplified rituals of worship into collective prayers.

· They believed that the heart can be trained to look at the world in a different way.

Question 6. Why do you think many teachers rejected prevalent religious beliefs and practices?

Answer: Yes, many teachers rejected prevalent religious beliefs and practices because they had numerous shortcomings and they promoted division in society.

Question 7. What were the major teachings of Baba Guru Nanak?

Answer: Msyor Teachings of Baba Guru Nanak

1. Worship of one God.

2. Irrelevance of caste, creed, and gender for attaining liberation.

3. The pursuit of active life with a strong sense of social commitment.

4. Naam, the dan, is the major essence of his teachings.

5. The idea of equality.

Question 8. For either the Virashaivas or the saints of Maharashtra, discuss their attitude towards caste.
Answer: Attitude of the Virashaivas towards caste : They believed in the equality of all human beings. They were against Brahmanical ideas about caste and the treatment of women. They wished for a society where people of all backgrounds could live in harmony without any feelings of high and low, rich and poor.

Question 9. Why do you think ordinary people preserved the memory of Mirabai?
Answer: Mirabai was a Rajput princess married into the royal family of Mewar. But she had no interest in the worldly affair. She was an ardent devotee of Krishna and wanted to devote her time to the worship of her lord. She had no belief in princely status and other norms of high-class society. Her devotion to her deity was supreme. Hence, she left the royal palace and began to lend. Simple life with ordinary people.

EXTRA QUESTIONS

Question 1. What is Guru Granth Sahib?
Answer: Guru Granth Sahib is the holy scripture of the Sikhs.

Question 2. How many Alvars were there?
Answer: 12 Alvars.

Question 3. Name the two sets of compilations of Nayanar’s songs.
Answer: Tevaram and Tiruvacakam.

Question 4. Name the set of compilation of Alvars’ songs.

Answer: Divya Prabandham.

Question 5. Name any two saints of Maharashtra.
Answer: Namdev and Tukaram

Question 6. Who were Sufis?
Answer: Sufis were Muslim mystics.

Question 7. Name any two great Sufis of Central Asia.
Answer: Ghazzali and Rumi.

8. Devotional Paths To The Divine