NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science: History Chapter8- Devotional Paths to the Divine

Social Science is a vital Subject for CBSE Class 7 students. The History section is much more important as it plays a crucial role in shaping students’ minds to absorb more complex topics in higher classes. The NCERT solutions Class 7 History Chapter 8 has been prepared by subject experts to help students understand the critical concepts in the chapter. All the answers prepared are concise and accurate  for the students of Class 7, and they meet the CBSE standards. 

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science: History Chapter 8 – Devotional Paths to the Divine 

Extramarks, one of the leading  e-learning platforms, has made it possible for students to access the NCERT Solutions. The solutions are prepared by subject matter experts  keeping in mind the latest CBSE updates regarding examination pattern. These solutions are useful for both the teachers and the students and it can be accessed anywhere without much hassle.

Access NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science:History Chapter 8 – Devotional Paths To The Divine

The Class 7 History chapter on ‘Devotional Paths to the Divine’, deals with the emergence of two religious movements, Sufi and Bhakti movements. It shares the idea of a Supreme God, Nayanars and Alwars, a new Bhakti in South India; role of Philosophy and Bhakti in the 8th century followed by connection between Tamil Bhakti movement and temple worship. Vaishnavism in Karnataka, saints of Maharashtra and other religious groups such as Nathpanthis, Siddhas and yogis  and finally about Islam and Sufism.

The NCERT Solutions for this chapter will help you thoroughly comprehend the various kinds of Bhakti and Sufi movements during this period.  

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science History Chapter 8  

The NCERT Class 7 History Chapter 8 Solutions can be accessed from the official website of Extramarks. The solutions have all the answers to the questions in  the textbook. They are prepared by subject experts and experienced faculty as per the latest CBSE curriculum and are thoroughly checked and approved by the experts. The NCERT Solutions for every subject are  reliable and accurate. No wonder students have complete trust and faith in Extramarks.  

Class 7 Chapter 8 – Devotional Paths to the Divine

Devotional Paths to the Divine  deals with people’s beliefs at an early stage when they were unaware of towns and cities to the point where they reached unconditional devotional heights.

Introduction

NCERT solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 8 gives students a  trove of information from which they can learn a lot. It presents the chapter from a different perspective  and provides answers to the questions that help them in improving the understanding of our cultures and traditions. 

We all know that while intense devotion to God has unified us all, it has also torn us apart. In search of various mystical answers about the universe, our love and devotion towards our almighty go unconditional, which is then carried forward by the next generation. In the NCERT solutions of this chapter, many essential topics have been condensed  for the students.

The Idea of a Supreme God

In the early stages of our History, when the ideas of cities, towns, or civilisation were not even born, every group of people tried looking for ways to understand and interpret the unexplainable.People worshipped their own gods and goddesses. The idea that not everyone was equal at birth gained ground during this period. Many learned texts dealt with ideas that social privileges came from birth in a ‘noble’ family or a high caste. When most people were uneasy with such ideas, they turned to Buddha, his teachings, and other deities. They started yearning for a Supreme God to free themselves of any bonds and to grant them the wishes they desired upon worshipping with bhakti. Shiva, Vishnu and Durga were worshipped through elaborate rituals. The idea of bhakti gained utter importance and popularity and even Buddhists and Jainas adopted these beliefs.

The Change of Bhakti in South India, Nayanars and Alvars

The 7th to 9th-century  saw the rise of two major sections of Hinduism that gained significance that included all the people from different castes, even the untouchables. The Alvars and the Nayanars had one thing in common: their devotion to their respective Gods, Vishnu and Shiva. Although these Gods initially kept us distinct, eventually, our religious scripts started merging bhakti from different sources, such as the Sangam literature resulting in the unified Hindu pantheon of today.

Philosophy and Bhakti

The philosophy of bhakti had one specific and ultimate goal, which was to attain a pure state of one’s self that will allow one to unite with the Supreme God by purifying one’s self through multiple lifetimes. Shankara, one of the most influential philosophers, advocated Advaita or the doctrine of oneness. Ramananuja, influenced by Alwars, was a devotee of Vishnu who believed in oneness of God, a prominent belief that this process is the only way to give the soul eternal salvation and provide eternal bliss.

Basavanna’s Virashaivism

Virashaivism, founded by Basavanna, sought to stand for women’s equality and strongly opposed the Brahmanas when their laws suppressed the women even in temples. The Virashaivas strongly advocated the equality of all human beings much against the Brahmanical ideas and all forms of ritual and idol worship.

The Saints of Maharashtra

The saint-poets were generally the saints of Maharashtra who were often looked upon because they held the status of “untouchables”. Nevertheless, with the help of common Marathi, their beauty of poetry was conveyed. The notion of a Supreme God that lives within us all and the concept of equality without the inclusion of nobility and untouchability were spread through these poems.

Nathpanthis, Siddhis and Yogis

They criticised the ritual and other aspects of conventional religion and the social order. To them the path of meditation lay in meditation on the Ultimate Reality and the realisation of oneness with it.

Islam and Sufism

Initially, Islamism and Sufism were unified. However, Sufism had always been known for promoting love, compassion, and devotion to all, while Islamism implemented strict religious laws that accentuated complete submission to the almighty. These holy laws and Islamism beliefs grew in popularity due to the bonding each member shared, their God, and their sense of community. Some of the great Sufis were Ghazzali, Rumi and Sadi. 

New Religious Developments in North India

During the thirteenth century, a new wave of the Bhakti movement began in north India. This was an age when Islam, Brahmanical Hinduism, Sufism, various strands of Bhakti, and the Nathpanths, Siddhas, and Yogis influenced one another.

Kabir

Kabir was one of the most influencial  saints belonging to a Muslim family, and he was one of those saints who was loved and recognised by almost all the religious communities that knew him. The essence of his poetry shook the hearts of Hindus and Muslims alike. His collection of verses called sakhis and pads were sung by wandering bhajan singers. Kabir preached religious tolerance and his teachings openly ridiculed all forms of external worship of both Brahmanical Hinduism and Islam.

Baba Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak is just like Kabir, who gained love from all religious groups and had a tremendous following of people irrespective of caste, creed or gender. A regular worship consisted of singing of his own hymns and poetry. He preached the notion of equality. His followers ate together in the common kitchen (langar) and the sacred space created by Baba Guru Nanak was known as dharamshala or Gurdwara.

Exercise

Subject matter  experts construct this exercise to help you comprehend the NCERT Class 7 History Chapter 8

  • Match the following 
  • Fill in the blanks 
  • Answer the following 

Key Features of NCERT Solution of History Class 7 Chapter 8

Experienced faculty on board have designed the NCERT solutions for History Class 7 Chapter 8 to help the students to learn with better understanding and score well. The key features of the solutions are given below:

  • The solutions are an excellent way to prepare for the exams and also help in quick revision within the limited time frame.
  • These Solutions undergo revision and refinement as per the latest CBSE curriculum and are thoroughly checked and approved by the experts. 
  • The NCERT solution provides information in greater detail about the chapter in the form of answers.

NCERT Class 7 Social Science – History Our Pasts-II, Chapter Wise Solutions

You can get access to the chapter-wise solutions for NCERT History Class 7 chapter 8 question answers on Extramarks. All the answers are prepared by experienced faculty, which will definitely  help you score high grades in the examinations.

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science

Social Science is a very scoring subject. It has three branches, History, Geography, and Civics. CBSE board has set high standards for Class 7 Social Science subjects. The NCERT solutions are helpful study material that contains to-the-point answers and gives an in-depth knowledge of the contents of the books.

Q.1 Match the following:

The Buddha namghar
Shankaradeva worship of Vishnu
Nizamuddin Auliya questioned social differences
Nayanars Sufi saint
Alvars worship of Shiva

Ans

The Buddha questioned social differences
Shankaradeva namghar
Nizamuddin Auliya Sufi saint
Nayanars worship of Shiva
Alvars worship of Vishnu

Q.2 Describe the beliefs and practices of the Nathpanthis, Siddhas and Yogis.

Ans

(i) The Nathpanthis, Siddhacharas and Yogis criticised the ritual and superstitious aspects of conventional religion and the social order, with clear logical arguments.

(ii) They advocated renunciation of the world.

(iii) To them the path to salvation lay in meditation on the formless Ultimate Reality and the realisation of oneness with it.

(iv) To achieve this, they advocated intense training of the mind and body through practices like yogasanas, breathing exercises and meditation.

(v) Most of their followers were from the so-called “low” caste communities.

(vi) Their criticism of conventional religion paved way for the emergence of the devotional religion as a popular force in northern India.

Q.3 What were the major ideas expressed by Kabir? How did he express these?

Ans

(i) Kabir’s teachings completely, strongly rejected the major religious traditions.

(ii) His ideas openly ridiculed all forms of external worship of both Brahmanical Hinduism and Islam, the pre-eminence of the priestly classes and the caste system.

(iii) He believed in a formless Supreme God and preached that the only path to salvation was through Bhakti (devotion).

(iv) His followers were from both Hindus and Muslims.

(v) He expressed his poetry in a form of spoken Hindi widely understood by ordinary people.

(vi) He also sometimes used a difficult cryptic language.

Q.4 What were the major beliefs and practices of the Sufis?

Ans

(i) Sufis were Muslim mystics.

(ii) They rejected outward religiosity and emphasised love and devotion to God and compassion towards all fellow human beings.

(iii) Islam propagated strict monotheism or submission to one God. It also rejected idol worship and simplified rituals of worship into collective prayers.

(v) At the same time, Muslim scholars developed a holy law called Shariat.

(vi) The Sufis rejected the elaborate rituals and codes of behaviour demanded by the Shariat law.

(vii) They sought union with God much as a lover seeks his beloved with a disregard for the world.

Q.5 Why do you think many teachers rejected prevalent religious beliefs and practices?

Ans

(i) Many teachers rejected prevalent religious beliefs and practices because it sustained social differences in the society.

(ii) The religious scriptures of the period argued that all human beings were not equal even at birth.

(iii) Those teachings supported the upper caste people and lower caste people were victims.

(iv) However, the teachers believed in equality of God and wanted to eradicate the evils of the society.

(v) They taught the masses that the bondage can be broken by approaching the Supreme God with devotion (bhakti).

Q.6 What were the major teachings of Baba Guru Nanak?

Ans

(i) Baba Guru Nanak emphasized the importance of the worship of one God.

(ii) He insisted that caste, creed or gender was irrelevant for attaining liberation.

(iii) His idea of liberation was not that of a state of inert ecstasy but rather the pursuit of active life with a strong sense of social commitment.

(iv) He himself used the terms nam, dan and isnan for the essence of his teaching, which actually meant right worship, welfare of others and purity of conduct.

Q.7 For either the Virashaivas or the sants of Maharashtra, discuss their attitude towards caste.

Ans

The Virashaivas’ attitude towards caste:

(i) Virashaiva movement was initiated by Basavanna and his companions like Allama Prabhu and Akkamahadevi.

(ii) This movement began in Karnataka in the mid-twelfth century.

(iii) The Virashaivas argued strongly for the equality of all human beings and against Brahmanical ideas about caste and the ill-treatment of women.

(iv) They were also against all forms of ritual and idol worship.

Q.8 Why do you think ordinary people preserved the memory of Mirabai?

Ans

(i) Mirabai’s songs openly challenged the norms of the “upper” castes and became popular with the ordinary people in the regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

(ii) Her songs were composed in regional languages and were sung by the masses.

(iii) They became immensely popular and were handed down orally from generation to generation.

(iv) Usually the poorest, most deprived communities and women transmitted these songs, often adding their own experiences.

(v) Thus the songs of Mirabai are the creation of the saints and the ordinary people who sang them.

Q.9 (a) Shankara was an advocate of _________.

(b) Ramanuja was influenced by _________.

(c) __________ , __________and __________ were advocates of Virashaivism.

(d) _________ was an important centre of the Bhakti tradition in Maharashtra.

Ans

(a) Shankara was an advocate of Advaita.

(b) Ramanuja was influenced by the Alvars.

(c) Basavanna, Allama Prabhu and Akkamahadevi were advocates of Virashaivism.

(d) Pandharpur was an important centre of the Bhakti tradition in Maharashtra.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Sanskrit was considered a noble language, and all the poets and saints wrote in this language, making it difficult for the common masses to access these writings. The Saints who wrote in common languages like Marathi helped unify people under a single faith through poems.

Saint Kabir tried enlightening people through his poems. He said that only one Supreme God is formless and different religions have given different names. He also said that the path to salvation has to be  Bhakti or  devotion. This idea was advocated in the Bhagavadgita.