Class 7History chapter 8

ExIII
Ans1. Bhakti is the total surrender to God; it is the expression of extreme love to God but expecting anything in return.

Ans2. Sufism is an old religious sect from the Middle East. Sufi means 'wool' in Arabic. The Sufis wore simple woollen garments which reflected the kind of simple life they led. Just like the Bhakti saints, the Sufi pirs believed in meditation, love and devotion to God rather than in rigid customs and rituals. They expressed their devotion through dance and music. They we re respected greatly by the common people.

Ans 3. The earliest of the Bhakti saints was Shankaracharya. Born in the 8th century AD in Kerela, Shankaracharya travelled through out India to  spread the importance of jnana as a means to reach God. To him, the world was an illusion or MAYA, with the only reality being that of Brahman or God.

Ans4. Four Bhakti saints of the Medieval period were: Kabir, Tulsidas, Ramanuja and Vallabhacharya.

Ans5. Moinuddin Chisti was one of the most revered of the Sufi saints. He came from Lahore and made Ajmer his home. All his life, he worked for the poor. He felt that service of God meant service of humanity. Even today his dargah is a popular holy place.

Ans6. Nizamuddin Aulia was a famous Sufi pirs of the 14th century AD. He set up his khanqah in Delhi. He asked his followers to lead Siple, austere lives and spend their time seeking God.

ExIV.
Ans2. The basic principles which all the Bhakti saints emphasised were:
1. They believed in the oneness of God -God was one,despite many names.
2. They believed in Bhakti or total surrender and devotion to God.
3.They believed in equality of all human beings. God was inside every person
4.They believed that the way to realise God was through Simple living, and loving and serving others.
5. They denounced elaborate rituals in religion and spoke against superstitions.
6. They believed in the presence of a personal God who could be approached directly without the help of the priests.
7. They believed that people could pray to God in their own simple language.