Question

Identify the relationship between the Sufis and the State from the eighth to the eighteenth century.

Answer 1

The group of people who were religious-minded, turned to asceticism and mysticism to seek God in the early centuries of Islam are known as Sufis.

Explanation:

• The donations were accepted by Sufi saints in cash and kind.
• Through pity and generosity, the Shaikhs attracted admirers from all walks of life who were able to establish moral authority.
• The rulers strived for their support because of their popularity.
• The Ulema's request for the introduction of Shariat as the law of the state was rejected by the Turks in India during the initiation of the Delhi Empire.

Answer 2

The relationship between the Sufis and the State from the eighth to the eighteenth century is explained as follows:

• In order to seek God, the Sufis, a group of religious-minded people, turned to asceticism and mysticism in the early centuries of Islam.

• The Sufi saints accepted donations and grants from the political elites but never accumulated it. They spent it on major requirements of daily life.

• They used to live a simple and disciplined life.

• The Sufi saints were enlisted by the Sultans in order to garner support from the general population.

• Despite the cooperation and mutual obligation between the State and the saints, there are various examples of conflict between the two.

• Both the Sufis and the State wanted to assert their authority over the people and thus, emphasized the prostration and kissing of the feet.