Ch 8 Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries Notes

Exploring Society: India and Beyond
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Social Science Textbook for
Grade 8 | Part 2

Notes
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Chapter 8

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1. WHAT IS CULTURE?
Culture = shared way of life of a group of people, passed down through generations.
Culture Shapes How people :-
➢➢➢See the world
➢➢➢Interact with each other
➢➢➢Conduct daily life

Culture includes :-
➢➢➢Values ➢➢➢➢➢➢ Morals
➢➢➢Customs & traditions Art
➢➢➢Music ➢➢➢➢➢➢ Literature
➢➢➢Philosophy ➢➢➢➢ Science

2.INDIAN CULTURE FEATURES
Most ancient cultures
Covers:
Languages ➢➢ Food
Literature Architecture
Art ➢➢➢➢➢ Knowledge Systems
Values

Other ancient culturesIndian culture
Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome diluted or destroyed over timeStood strong through the ages; alive and strong today

3. Why Indian culture is resilient :-
Deep roots
Timeless values
Scientific temper
Rich philosophical and artistic traditions

4. Key strength of Indian culture :-
Endured political instability and invasions
Adopted best of external cultural currents
Influenced other world cultures

5. EARLY CULTURAL CONTACT WITH
Merchants and traders
Knowledge-seekers and scholars
Diplomats
People persecuted

Regions they came from:-
Greece ➢➢➢ Persia
Central Asia East Asia

What they brought:-
Social norms ➢➢➢➢ Jewelry
Cuisine/food habits Art
Fashion ➢➢➢➢ Language
Literature ➢➢➢ Religion
Festivals

6. THE 13TH CENTURY TURNING POINT
India came under the influence of rulers bringing:-
New/differing political ideas
Administrative systems
Art and architectural styles
Religious beliefs

7. THREE RECURRING PATTERNS
Continuation
of traditional practices
Patronage from rulers of various backgrounds
Active participation by all people

8. DIMENSIONS OF CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
Visual art and architecture
Music and dance
Language and literature
Science and mathematics
Philosophy

9. Persian/Arabic influence :-
Muslim ruling class patronage in several parts of India
Persian and Arabic influences naturally appeared in local culture
Created new art forms

1. RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES: INVADERS VS LOCAL POPULATION

Islam (invaders)Indigenous Indian religion
MonotheisticSeveral schools of thought
One prophetNo single holy book

2. DESTRUCTION OF SACRED SITES
Invaders own version of Islam
Wanted to annihilate the “infidels”
Plunder and destruction of some sacred sites and temples

3. COMPLEXITIES AND FEARS
Due to religious differences:
No meeting ground
Rulers may suppressed indigenous faiths

4. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
Indian Belief systems native to continue
Islam also practiced
Multiple diverse religious groups existed

1. PRE-13TH CENTURY CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Purāṇas and the two great epics expressed through:-
Poetry Drama Puppetry
Painting Dance Sculpture
Daily life (temple visits, festivals, etc.)

2. BHAKTI MĀRGA
Bhakti mārga = path of devotion
Path to mokṣha:-
Moksha = realization of Truth / release from the cycle of death and rebirth
Did not require rituals or priests

3.POPULARITY (13TH–17TH CENTURIES)
The Bhakti popularity Reflected:-
Cultural continuity
People’s search for spiritual resilience during political and religious changes

4. HOW BHAKTI SPREAD
Verses and songs composed in local languages
Themes expressed:-
Love
Compassion
Equality
Connected people through:-
Songs
Music
Dance

1. REGIONAL BHAKTI SAINTS
Click below
to know them

SaintRegion / PeriodBackgroundMessage / Significance
Kabirdas (Kabir)Present-day Uttar Pradesh, 15th centuryPresumably raised by a weaver coupleOne God; decried rituals of both Hinduism and Islam
RavidasEarly 16th centuryBorn in a family of leather-workersEquality and oneness of all; broke down rigid varṇa/jāti walls
Guru NanakJourneyed across regionsOne God + equality of all people
MirabaiRajasthanContinued bhakti tradition
Chaitanya MahaprabhuEastContinued bhakti tradition
TukaramWestContinued bhakti tradition
DnyaneshwarWestContinued bhakti tradition
NamdevWestContinued bhakti tradition
PurandaradasaSouthGiven up diamond business; ardent devotee of Kṛiṣhṇa“Father of Carnatic music”
KanakadasaSouthContinued bhakti tradition

2. GURU GRANTH SĀHIB
Preserves teachings of Guru Nanak + hymns of several Hindu saints
Sacred text of the Sikhs

3. BHAJAN GATHERINGS
All sections of society participated
Bhajans = Song + musical instruments + dancing
Expressing devotion to god

Two effects of bhajans:
Oneness of god (Upaniṣhad concept) connected with Islam’s one-god idea
Brought people in cultural unity and continuity

4. PURANDARADASA
15th–16th century
“Father of Carnatic music”
Devotee of Kṛiṣhṇa
Composed 4,75,000 kīrtanās
Wandered around Vijayanagara empire
Krishnadevaraya invited, became part of his court.

5. TAMIL NADU ĀLVĀRS AND NĀYANĀRS
Divya Prabandham composed by the Ālvārs
Tiruvāchakam composed by the Nāyanārs
Hymns for Viṣhṇu (Ālvārs) and Śhiva (Nāyanārs)

6. SUFISM DEFINITION
Sufism = a path of Islam focused on:-
Devotion
Inner and personal search for god

7. QAWWĀLĪ
Devotional songs of Sufi saints
⁘ Purpose: bring people closer to the divine
Fused local classical musical styles with Sufi traditions
⁘ Lyrics about: love, faith, unity

Famous Sufi saints:-
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
Nizamuddin Auliya

8. SUFI SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Sufis adopted yogic and Vedantic techniques, including:-
Inner silence
Asceticism (renunciation of worldly desires)
Meditation (zikr)
Purpose: spiritual union = Vedantic paths to mokṣha

9. DARA SHIKOH UNITY OF PATHS
For unity of Vedanta and Sufi paths
Translation of some Upanishads into Persian
Saw Vedanta and Sufism as converging on universal truth
Mutual respect + understanding

10. BHAKTI + SUFI OVERLAP
Poets brought ideas from different religions
Enriched Indian literature with unity and devotion

1. MUSIC & DANCE-DRAMA ANCIENT ROOTS
Nātyaśhāstra:-
Traditions in an interdisciplinary way
Brought together:
Dance, drama, music, science, mathematics, aesthetics, mythology
Flexible, with many regional streams

2. TRADITIONAL STORYTELLING FORMS
With song, dance, and drama
Varied region to region

FormRegion
PuppetryRajasthan
Paṭṭachitra (paṭṭa = cloth, chitra = picture)Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh

Paṭṭachitra themes: scenes from Rāmayaṇa, Mahābhārata, Puraṇās
Use: Bards told stories from the epics with song.
Everyday emotions entered these traditions
Music and dance performed in: temples, social gatherings, village melas

3. HINDUSTANI VS CARNATIC MUSIC
Indian classical music developed in two related streams:

Hindustani (North)Carnatic (South)
Developed with new influences during this periodContinued to develop independently
Largely unaffected by Persian and Arabic influences

4. DHRUPAD & RAJA MANSINGH TOMAR
Patron: Raja Mansingh Tomar of Gwalior
Dhrupad (dhruva = fixed, pada = verse) genre of great antiquity

5. TANSEN
Real name: Rāmtanu Pandey
One of the nine ratnas of Akbar’s court
Influenced by a Sufi saint of the time
Continued composing in praise of Kṛiṣhṇa and Śhiva

Significance:-
Example of Indian culture’s ability to accept influences and enrich itself while retaining its core.

6. INSTRUMENTS SITAR AND TABLA
Exact origins remain debated by scholars
Ancient pakhāwaj tradition behind the tabla

1. PAINTING ANCIENT ROOTS TO PAPER
Cave art to the Ajanta murals
Murals and frescoes developed
Paper reached India in the 10th or 11th century
Now paintings from walls to paper

2. RAJPUT PAINTING TRADITION
Themes/depictions:-
Traditional Hindu themes
Typical expressions of beauty:-
➢➢➢➢ Lotus flowers Banyan trees
➢➢➢➢ Elephants➢➢ Cows
➢➢➢➢ Peacocks ➢➢ Women with large eyes
➢➢➢➢ People with different skin colours

Abul Fazl, in the Ain-i-Akbari, referred to Hindu painters

3. MUGHAL MINIATURE PAINTING
Distinct from Rajput art
Shaped by Persian influences

Themes of Mughal Painting:-
Secular landscapes, court scenes, portraits (known as court paintings)
Reached their height in Akbar’s atelier [workshop]

Collaborative process (Akbar’s atelier):-
One artist drew the lines
Another filled the colors
A third added finishing touches

Miniatures also appeared in manuscripts, including Persian translations of the Mahābhārata

4. RAJPUT–MUGHAL EXCHANGE
Exchanges in style, technique, and use of colours
Mutual influence on painting elements:-
Plants and gardens
Animals
Court and hunting scenes in Rajput paintings

Migration & blending:-
Some Mughal court painters migrated to Bikaner blending of styles

1. GARDENS ANCIENT TRADITION
Words for garden in ancient texts:-
Udyāna, vātikā, nandana
Found in: Ṛigveda, Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa
Often built around temples, with a pond or tank

2. MUGHAL GARDENS CHARBAGH DESIGN
Persian charbagh design
Charbagh features :-
Four parts with gardens and waterways
Represented the rivers of Paradise mentioned in the Quran
Included: water channels, fountains, terraces

⁘ Where developed: Around forts, tombs, and mosques continue to exist today
⁘ Famous example: Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan

3. 17TH-CENTURY GARDENS INSPIRED BY MUGHAL STYLE
Example: Amer Fort, Jaipur
Geometrical patterns of Mughal gardens
➢➢➢➢ Water channels used for :-
➢➢➢➢➢➢➢
Irrigation, AND
➢➢➢➢➢➢➢➢➢ Aesthetic elements

4. LOCALISED EVOLUTION DISTINCTIVE FEATURE
Evolution of localised forms depended on :-
of the patron ruler
traditions and materials
of the craftsmen

1. PRE-INVASION STATUS (10TH CENTURY)
Abu Zaidu-l Hasan noted :-
Women allowed to be seen by men at court
No veil

2. IMPACT OF INVASIONS (12TH CENTURY ONWARDS)
Women and children were imprisoned and sold as slaves
Some women committed jauhar
Consequence :-
Attempts made to protect women
Women’s public appearance and engagement declined

3. PURDAH AND GHŪNGHAṬ
Purdah (Persian for curtain/veil)
Ghūnghaṭ (north India):-
Veil to avoid public eye
In many parts, Veil draped around the head
Veil= symbol of nobility
Confined to north India

4. ROYAL MUSLIM HOUSEHOLDS
Women secluded, followed purdah
Few participated in political, educational, and public activities

5. RAZIA SULTAN
First and only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate
Opposed by Nobles

Achievements of Razia Sultan:-
Led military campaigns
Used clever methods against conspirators
Established educational institutions across Delhi
Merit-based administration
Broke tradition: appeared unveiled at court, directly addressed the public

◈ Outcome:
These “rebellious” acts contributed to a conspiracy that ended her brief reign

6. NUR JAHAN
Wife of Jahangir
Coins minted in her name
Role Of Noorjahan:-
Active in governance
Issued royal orders
Attended court meetings
Known for intelligence, leadership, sense of style
Supported art, architecture, and trade

7. SOUTH INDIA
Societal norms of the past continued
Elite women continued in administration + public life:-
Exercised power
Issued grants
Influenced political decisions
Wall engravings at Hampi women participating in public life

8. EDUCATED WOMEN & CONTRIBUTIONS
Temple donations of:-
Entire villages
Part of the crop
◈◈◈◈◈By queens and rich women
Public works:-
Community halls and wells

IMPACT OF INVASIONS ON EDUCATION
Disrupted India’s education
Tradition of learning persisted
Safeguarded and nurtured by: kings, saints, poets, scholars

1. INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING

InstitutionAssociation
GurukulasStudents lived with teachers
MaṭhasLearning centres
Temple schoolsLearning centres
Buddhist vihārasBuddhist learning
Jain pallisJain learning
PāṭhaśhālāsVillage-level schools
MadrasāsMuslim rule; Arabic, Persian, Hindavi, Islamic studies

Subjects studied (gurukulas/maṭhas/temple schools/vihāras/pallis):-
Sanskrit and Prakrit grammar
Astronomy
Law
Medicine
Sacred texts

2. SOUTHERN CENTRES OF LEARNING
Kanchipuram and Sringeri advanced learning in philosophy and mathematics
Kerala School of Mathematics path-breaking contributions:
Laid seeds of infinite series
Laid seeds of calculus

3. JĀTI AND ŚHREṆI SYSTEM
System for arts, craft, and trade continued
Codes/norms guiding these institutions continued
These decentralised systems were largely unaffected

4. PIETRO DELLA VALLE’S OBSERVATION (1623)
Italian traveller
Mentioned in letters (1623): schools in coastal regions of Karnataka
Children learning: reading, writing, arithmetic

5. DESTRUCTION OF NĀLANDĀ AND VIKRAMAŚHILĀ
Large universities destroyed during invasions in the late 12th century
Described as an immense cultural loss to humanity
Caused:-
Dispersal of learned scholars
Disruption of an entire ecosystem of learning

1. SKILL-BASED VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Hands-on training at a young age
⁘ Textiles used as an example: shows integration of new materials and techniques

2. INDIAN TEXTILE TRADITION
Weaving and unique textiles
Every region own speciality
⁘ Ancient weaving communities: broad umbrella called the Koshtis
Knowledge transfer method:-
Apprenticeships
Either within a family, or with a master in a guild

3. BANARAS SILK SARIS
Akbar moved Weavers from Gujarat to Banaras
Brought their unique expertise
Mughal introductions:-
Zarī / zardozī
Brocades
◈◈◈◈ These became “signature style” of Banaras silk saris
Design influences:-
Nature-inspired
Geometric patterns
Same traditional training system = Heritage kept alive

4. PASHMINA SHAWLS
Fanous for softness and warmth
Woven from cashmere soft wool from goats of Ladakh and Kashmir
Mughal era:-
Gained patronage of the emperors
Became a symbol of nobility
Trade:-
Exported to Asia
Demand among Europeans
Design:-
Embroidery Persian influence
Features floral motifs

1. FLOURISHING LANGUAGES
Sanskrit Odia
Tamil Hindavi
Telugu Bengali
Kannada Marathi

2. BHAKTI LITERATURE’S ROLE
Enriched the culture of writing
Disseminated ideas through accessible poetry and song
Chaitanya Mahāprabhu:-
Influenced Bengali literature
Includes: biographies, a new folk-song style called Dhāmāli
Themes: Kṛiṣhṇa and episodes from his life
These themes became part of kathak dance

Kavindra Paramesvara:-
Court-poet
Translated the Mahābhārata into Bengali
Persian poetry was translated into Bengali
Secular themes also emerged as subjects

3. ROYAL PATRONAGE OF LITERATURE
Krishnadevaraya patronised poets in south India
Gajapati kings of Odisha fostered literary and spiritual thought
Vijayanagara, kings and queens were themselves poets

4. PERSIAN AS ADMINISTRATIVE/COURT LANGUAGE
Persian = language of the Mughals
Used in administration and courtly culture
Produced: histories, poetry, other texts
Helped preserve Indian knowledge

5. PERSIAN SCHOLARS AT MUGHAL COURT
Influx of Persian scholars, poets, and astronomers
Became part of the Mughal court and nobility
Interactions led to translations: Sanskrit Persian, and vice versa

6. TRANSLATION EXAMPLES

WorkOriginal AuthorTranslation
LīlāvatīBhāskarāchārya3 Persian translations; first by Abu al-Faiz ibn Mubarak (pen-name Faizi)
RājatarangiṇīKalhaṇaTranslated into Persian

7. DARA SHIKOH DETAILED CASE
Aurangzeb’s older brother
Advocate of Hindu-Muslim harmony
Often seen in the company of: yogis, pandits, Muslim scholars
Scholarly contribution:-
Translated 52 Upaniṣhads from Sanskrit to Persian
Assisted by learned scholars in Varanasi
Impact:-
Translations later reached Europe
Influenced leading philosophers and thinkers in the 19th century
Fate of DARA SHIKOH:-
Persecuted by Aurangzeb
Captured, accused of heresy, and executed

1. ORIGIN OF URDU
Developed in the Ganga-Yamuna plains
Base: Hindi/Hindavi spoken in this region
Integrated words from: Arabic and Persian
Later status:-
Urdu replaced Persian as an official language in the British government
Listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution

2. DAKHINI SOUTHERN VARIANT
South of the Deccan, Urdu becomes Dakhini
Took on loan-words from local languages:-
Telugu
Marathi
Result: Urdu of Hyderabad and Lucknow are different

3. AMIR KHUSRAU “FATHER OF URDU LITERATURE”
Known as the “father of Urdu literature”
Wrote in Hindavi
Had knowledge of Sanskrit
Also wrote in Punjabi and Braj Bhasha

4. CREATIVE LANGUAGE MIXING
Khusrau creatively mixed words from different languages
This has:-
Added richness to Indian culture
Become part of popular culture

1. WHY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Indians had a culture of enquiry asking questions, experimentation, learning
This led to better understanding of the world
⁘ Spirit: “let noble thoughts come to us from all directions”

2. CONTINUED ADVANCEMENT (13TH–17TH CENT.)
Supported by: regional courts and temple institutions

3. ZINC PRODUCTION
Production of pure zinc
Special distillation process used first time in the world

4. MAJOR TEXTS
Major texts of chemistry and medicine composed

5. NARAYANA PANDITA
Wrote Gaṇitakaumudī:-
Massive treatise of mathematics
Included important original developments

6. MADHAVA CALCULUS PIONEER
Contribution- study of calculus
Series expansion for trigonometric functions
This led to an exact value of π as an infinite series

Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics:
Madhava and his followers known by this name
Produced many important works until the 19th century

7. NILAKANTHA SOMAYAJI PLANETARY MODEL
Distinguished scholar of the Kerala School
Model: interior planets (Mercury and Venus) go round the Sun in an orbit that did not enclose the Earth

8. APPLIED CHEMISTRY
Refrigeration and perfumes:-
Applied chemistry used to develop refrigeration and new types of perfumes
Indian saltpetre (Akbar’s time):-
Used to make gunpowder
Also used to cool water and beverages
Itr – Jahangir:-
A type of rose-based perfume, developed during this period

9. MEDICAL SYSTEMS
Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani
Knowledge transmitted through:-
Texts
Oral traditions

1. REGIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RegionArchitectural Form
SouthIntricately carved temples
NorthMajestic forts and palaces

Each structure reflected the
values, beliefs, and aesthetics of its time

2. PATRONAGE
From kings, queens, and nobles
Fostered a thriving artistic environment
Resulted in iconic monuments

1. VIJAYANAGARA GOLDEN AGE
Under Krishnadevaraya’s rule, the Vijayanagara Empire witnessed a golden age of:
Art
Architecture
Cultural revival

Hampi:
Centre of urban planning and temple building
Grand temples constructed with:-
Remarkable skill
Devotion
Excellent knowledge of engineering

Significance:
Empire’s dedication to sacred architecture:-
Reinforced religious devotion
Served as testament to its prosperity and cultural vitality

3. TEMPLE RECONSTRUCTION RESILIENCE
Resilience and spirit best exhibited by:-
Reconstruction of temples that had been destroyed
Sacred vigrahas (idols) reinstated
Example: Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam

Through:-
Food
Clothing

1. FOOD TWO-WAY CULINARY INFLUENCE

Spices adopted:-

Cardamom Black pepper
Clove Turmeric
Coriander
Part of imperial kitchens → also entered kitchens of common people

Other adaptations:-
Use of curd for marination
Ghee
Khichri took on new flavours

2. AKBAR AND MEAT CONSUMPTION
Akbar reportedly tried to reduce meat consumption
Due to Jain and Hindu traditions

3. PERSIAN FOOD INFLUENCE
Naan
Samosas
Jalebis

1. CLOTHING ANCIENT CONSCIOUSNESS OF ATTIRE
Greek travellers to India recorded:
Fine clothing
Dyes
Hairstyles
Footwear (including high heels)
Jewellery

Cotton, muslin, and silk production went up

2. NEW CLOTHING FORMS

ItemDescription
JamaTunic-like dress; adopted in court
PyjamaAdopted in court; variations for women
Fine muslin sari-inspired dupattasAdded to the style
SariContinued with rich regional variations

◈◈◈◈◈◈◈ End Of Notes ◈◈◈◈◈◈◈

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