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Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries – Class 8 Social Science notes, important questions and MCQs

NCERT Class 8 Social Science, chapter 15. Notes, key terms, important questions with answers and MCQs.

Chapter overview

Between the 13th and 17th centuries, the Bhakti and Sufi movements spread messages of devotion, love and equality across India. Saints composed songs in people's languages, which enriched regional literature and music. Architecture, painting and music also flourished through the meeting of different traditions.

The Bhakti movement

Bhakti saints taught personal devotion to God and rejected rigid rituals and caste discrimination.
Kabir and Guru Nanak taught that God is one and is found within; Guru Nanak founded Sikhism.
Mirabai sang of Krishna in Rajasthan; Tulsidas wrote the Ramcharitmanas and Surdas sang of Krishna.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Bengal and Odisha, Sankaradeva in Assam, and Namdev and Tukaram in Maharashtra spread bhakti; in Odisha, Jagannath Das wrote the Odia Bhagabata.

The Sufi movement

Sufis were Muslim mystics who stressed love of God, simplicity and service to humanity.
The Chishti order became popular: Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer and Nizamuddin Auliya at Delhi.
Sufi khanqahs (hospices) welcomed people of all faiths; qawwali developed as devotional music.

Languages, music and art

Regional languages such as Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Marathi, Assamese and Punjabi grew through saints' songs.
Amir Khusrau contributed to music and poetry; Purandara Dasa is called the father of Carnatic music.
Miniature painting and new styles of architecture developed through cultural exchange.

Key terms

Bhakti: personal devotion to God through love and surrender
Sufism: a mystical tradition within Islam emphasising love of God and service to people
Khanqah: a Sufi hospice where people gathered for teaching and devotion
Qawwali: a form of Sufi devotional music

Important questions with answers

What were the main teachings of the Bhakti saints?2 marks

The Bhakti saints taught that God can be reached through personal devotion and love, not through costly rituals. They rejected caste discrimination and preached equality, used the languages of ordinary people, and stressed a simple, moral life.

How did the Sufis spread their message?3 marks

The Sufis lived simply and spread love of God and service to humanity. Their khanqahs welcomed people of all faiths, where they fed the poor and taught. They used music, especially qawwali, and poetry in local languages, and saints such as Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer and Nizamuddin Auliya at Delhi attracted followers from all communities.

Explain the contributions of the Bhakti and Sufi movements to Indian society and culture.5 marks

The Bhakti movement spread across India between the 13th and 17th centuries. Saints such as Kabir, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, Tulsidas, Surdas, Chaitanya, Sankaradeva, Namdev and Tukaram taught that God could be reached through love and devotion rather than rituals, and they opposed caste discrimination. Guru Nanak founded Sikhism. In Odisha, Jagannath Das wrote the Odia Bhagabata, which became a household text. The Sufi movement, led by mystics of the Chishti and other orders such as Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer and Nizamuddin Auliya at Delhi, emphasised love of God, simplicity and service to humanity, and its khanqahs welcomed people of all faiths. Both movements promoted equality, tolerance and harmony between communities. They used the languages of the people, which helped Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Assamese, Marathi and Punjabi literature grow. They enriched music through bhajans, kirtans and qawwalis, and Purandara Dasa shaped Carnatic music while Amir Khusrau contributed to music and poetry. Thus they deeply influenced religion, society, language and the arts.

Quick revision

Bhakti: devotion, equality, people's languages.
Sufis: Chishti order, Ajmer and Delhi.
Regional languages and music flourished.
Jagannath Das wrote the Odia Bhagabata.

Exam tips

Match saints with regions: Kabir (Varanasi), Guru Nanak (Punjab), Mirabai (Rajasthan), Chaitanya (Bengal–Odisha), Sankaradeva (Assam), Tukaram (Maharashtra).
Show common ideas of Bhakti and Sufi movements: love of God, equality, simple worship, people's languages.

Practice MCQs

The founder of Sikhism was
1. Kabir
2. Guru Nanak
3. Tulsidas
4. Chaitanya
Show answer
Answer: (b) Guru Nanak. He taught that God is one.
The Ramcharitmanas was written by
1. Tulsidas
2. Surdas
3. Kabir
4. Mirabai
Show answer
Answer: (a) Tulsidas. It is in Awadhi.
Mirabai was a devotee of
1. Krishna
2. Rama
3. Shiva
4. Durga
Show answer
Answer: (a) Krishna. She was from Rajasthan.
The Sufi saint whose shrine is at Ajmer is
1. Nizamuddin Auliya
2. Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
3. Amir Khusrau
4. Baba Farid
Show answer
Answer: (b) Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. He belonged to the Chishti order.
The saint who spread bhakti in Assam was
1. Tukaram
2. Namdev
3. Sankaradeva
4. Chaitanya
Show answer
Answer: (c) Sankaradeva. He started the Neo-Vaishnavite movement.
The Odia Bhagabata was written by
1. Kabir
2. Tulsidas
3. Jagannath Das
4. Sankaradeva
Show answer
Answer: (c) Jagannath Das. It became very popular in Odisha.
Which idea was common to both the Bhakti and Sufi movements
1. strict caste rules
2. use of Sanskrit only
3. worship only through costly rituals
4. love of God and equality of all people
Show answer
Answer: (d) love of God and equality of all people. Both rejected discrimination and rituals.
Purandara Dasa is called the father of
1. Hindustani music
2. Odissi dance
3. qawwali
4. Carnatic music
Show answer
Answer: (d) Carnatic music. He composed many songs and lessons.

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Written by Kundali IQ from standard, well-established facts to help with revision. This is not an official NCERT publication; always read your textbook too.