what was the greatest social impact of the bhakti movement on medieval hindu society
Answers
Impact of the Bhakti Movement on the Medieval Indian Society:
With a view to understand the impact of the Bhakti movement, we have to consider the background under which the movement gained momentum. Under the impact of the Muslim rule, the Hindus had suffered a lot materially, morally and spiritually. The Muslim rulers in general wanted to enforce the Islamic laws on the Hindus. The Muslim rule had put dread in the hearts of the Hindu masses.
They wanted some solace to heal their despairing hearts. The Bhakti movement brought them hope and support and inner strength to save themselves. During the course of time, several evil practices had crept into the Hindu society. There was a lot of caste and class distinction. Several divisions had occurred.
There was a good deal of bitter men between the two communities i.e. the Hindus and Muslims. Some healing touch was needed. Fortunately with the foreign invaders, some Sufi Muslim saints had also come to India and settled here. They were very liberal minded. They emphasized the virtues of love and devotion, brotherhood and equality etc. This helped to bring the two communities nearer. It also helped to harmonise the conflicting interests.
The saints of the Bhakti movement rejected the difference of caste and Uati’. An important factor which led to the popularity of Bhakti movement was that most of the promoters of this movement attempted to reconcile the differences between the Hindus and the Muslims by stressing that Rama and Rahim were one and the same. They condemned the hatred of the fanatic Pandits and Mullas alike.
The Hindus realised that it was difficult to drive away the Muslim rulers and Muslims from India. On the other hand the Muslims also appreciated that the Hindus were in absolute majority and it was impossible to force all of them to embrace Islam. So under the impact of the new movement both sides started making efforts for coming closer to each other.
For the Hindus the effort was initiated by the Hindu saints of the Bhakti movement and for the Muslims by the Sufi Saints.
The Hindu and as well as the Muslim saints emphasized religious simplicity. They stressed human qualities and moral attitudes. They stressed that a true religious man is one who is pure in thought and action.
The Bhakti saints believed in equality of man and man. According to them there was no distinction and consideration of high and low on the basis of birth. Their doors were open to all classes.
The Bhakti saints tried to generate an environment of good will between the Hindus and the Muslims.
The Bhakti saints were social reformers also. They condemned several social evils.
The Sufi Saints like Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti, Bakhyiya Kaki, Nizamudin Aulia and Nasiruddin Chirag-i-Delhi etc. attempted to restrain the fanaticism of the Muslims and tried to bring them nearer to the Hindus. Several Hindus became followers of the Sufi saints but without relinquishing their own religion.
Social impact:
The most important social impact of the Bhakti movement was that the followers of the Bhakti movement rejected the caste distinction. They began to mix together on the basis of equality. They took their meals together from the common kitchen. The movement tried to loosen the bond of caste.
A spirit of harmony among different sections of society and religion received impetus.
The evil practice of ‘Sati’ received some set back.
The status of women received more importance.
Answer:
The Bhakti movement had the following effects:
- The reformers brought Hindus and Muslims together in peace.
- They eliminated numerous flaws in Hindu society.
- Since the reformers wrote in these languages, India's regional languages have flourished. This aided the growth of Indian culture.
Explanation:
The Bhakti movement is a Hindu devotional movement that originated in Tamil Nadu and eventually served as a de facto trigger for the founding and subsequent revolutionization of Sikhism. It began in Tamil Nadu in the seventh century and expanded northward.