Week-2
This week we are going to look at the first major empire in the Sultanate period—that of
Ala-ud-din Khilji and analyze why he was able to create a more stable administration. To
get at both elite and non-elite views of society, we will study the impact of Sufi saints in
Delhi on Monday and that of a low-caste, but very influential popular bhakti saint called
Kabir on Wednesday.
Monday
Vocabulary: Please note Kumar translates most terms when he first uses them.
Masjid: Mosque
Minar: tower, usually attached to a mosque from which the call to prayer was announced
Kumar Reading: Assertions of Authority
1. According to Kumar what is wrong with the earlier studies comparing the rule of
the Delhi Sultans with the authority of the Sufi Sheikhs? How does his analysis
of Ala-u-din Khilji differ from Rizvi?
2. What kinds of sources does Kumar chose to study the claim to moral authority by
Ala-ud-din Khilji and Nizam-ud-din Awliya? Why does he think these sources
are more appropriate than other sources used previously?
3. Explain Kumar’s argument—How was Ala-ud-din Khilji’s claim to moral
authority framed, what kind of an Islam did it promote? How was the authority of
the Sheikh Nizam-ud-Din presented, how was his religiosity different from that of
the court?
Wednesday
Our reading for discussion today is about the works of the well-know popular saint and
poet Kabir. Very little can be reliably known about Kabir, except through his works, yet
there are many legends about his life. It is said he was born into a low-caste family,
possibly one that had recently converted to Islam, however, his interests spanned all
known religious traditions. His lifetime is tentatively placed in the 15th century, but that
is also a guess. His works, however, are unique. Written in colloquial and colorful
language they present a very individualistic view of the world that rejects all orthodoxies.
Kabir is claimed by many religions, and also considered part of Sufi tradition, as well as
Bhakti—the popular Hindu devotionalism that appeared in the medieval period. Other
bhakti saints to which Kabir is compared in this article include—Dadu, Nanak, Sur,
Tulsi, and Mira. Linda Hess, the author of our translation, is not a historian but a literary
and religious studies scholar. Try not to get distracted by the frequent comparisons to
other poets in this work, instead focus on what Hess describes as the features that are
unique to Kabir’s view of the world and self-expression.
Vocabulary:
Bhakti—a form of popular devotion in India that is connected with a deep mystical
connection to god. Bhakti is of two types:
Nirguna—worship in which god is depicted in abstract form—has no human attributes
Saguna—worship in which god is viewed in terms of human attributes
Kalidasa’s Meghaduta (p.8)—a classical Sanskrit poem, considered the model of good
writing in Sanskrit
Guru Granth Sahib—The scripture of the Sikh Religion. It contains some of Kabir’s
poetry
Bijak/Granthavali—one of the collections of Kabir’s poems that have survived
Questions for Hess Reading on Kabir
1. What do the myths about Kabir’s life reveal about his impact on society? How
well do these stories accord with Kabir’s own compositions?
2. What are the major themes in Kabir’s poetry? What tactics does Kabir use to
spread his ideas—how effective do you think they are?
3. If we keep in mind Kabir’s background and the time period in which he wrote—
what conclusions can we draw about the society of his time from non-elite
perspectives?
4. Why do you think that all faith traditions in India absorbed Kabir’s poetry into
their canonical works when he himself was opposed to organized religions?