[Mission 2024] STATIC QUIZ, 30 June 2023 – Ancient and Medieval India – INSIGHTSIAS

Correct

Solution: b)

 

Statement 3 is incorrect.

 

• He was a well-known saint and reformer of Bengal who popularised the Krishna cult. He renounced the material world, became an ascetic and wandered all over the country preaching his ideas. He popularised the Krishna cult in Medieval India.
• He proclaimed the universal brotherhood of man and condemned all distinction based on religion and caste. He emphasised love and peace and showed great sympathy to the sufferings of other people, especially that of the poor and the weak.
• He believed that through love and devotion, song and dance, a devotee can feel the presence of God. He accepted disciples from all classes and castes and his teachings are widely followed in Bengal even today.

Correct

Solution: c)

 

Statement 4 is incorrect.

 

Kabir was born in the city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, he is known for being critical of both organized religion and religions. He questioned meaningless and unethical practices of all religions primarily the wrong practices in Hindu and Muslim religion.

 

In Bijak, Kabir mocks the practice of praying to avatars such as Buddha of Buddhism, by asserting “don’t call the master Buddha, he didn’t put down devils”. Kabir urged people to look within and consider all human beings as manifestation of God’s living forms.

Correct

Solution: b)

 

Statement 3 is incorrect.

 

• Ramananda belonged to Ramanuja’s philosophical thought. He visited the holy places of North India and preached Vaishnavism. Ramananda introduced radical changes in Vaishnavism by founding his own sect based on the doctrine of love and devotion to Rama and Sita.
• He preached equality before God. He rejected caste system, particularly the supremacy of Brahmins as the sole custodians of the Hindu religion.
• The people from the lower strata of the society became his followers. His twelve disciples included Ravidas, Kabir and two women.
• Ramananda was the first to preach his doctrine of devotion in Hindi, the vernacular language.

Correct

Solution: d)

 

Nathpanthis, Siddhacharas and Yogis

• They advocated renunciation of the world.
• To them the path to salvation lay in meditation on the formless Ultimate Reality and the realisation of oneness with it.
• To achieve this they advocated intense training of the mind and body through practices like yogasanas, breathing exercises and meditation.
• These groups became particularly popular among “low” castes.
• Their criticism of conventional religion created the ground for devotional religion to become a popular force in northern India.

Correct

Solution: b)

 

Statement 2 is incorrect.

 

Sufis consider that the knowledge of the Truth can be based only on self-experience. There is no other way to realise the Truth except through one’s own experience.

 

The Almighty cannot be persuaded by cleverness. One, who considers oneself to be frail and prays the Almighty in distress, receives His grace immediately.

 

Sufis consider the shelter of a competent master as the most important step for the spiritual training of the seeker.