RAS question
Kabir's philosophy emphasized:
Correct answer: (D) Unity of God, rejection of rituals, caste equality — synthesis of Hindu-Muslim thought.
Kabir's philosophy emphasised a formless Supreme God, rejection of external ritual and caste hierarchy, and a devotional language that drew both Hindu and Muslim followers.
Explanation
Kabir was a fifteenth-century weaver-poet associated with Varanasi, and his teaching was not confined to either Hindu or Islamic orthodoxy. NCERT describes his ideas as a vehement rejection of major religious traditions: he ridiculed external worship in both Brahmanical Hinduism and Islam, rejected the pre-eminence of priestly classes, and attacked the caste system. His poetry addressed Allah-Ram together and asked the seeker to search for God in the heart, which matches the idea of direct experience of the divine. NCERT also notes that Kabir believed in a formless Supreme God and preached bhakti, or devotion, as the path to salvation, with followers from both Hindus and Muslims.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Kabir did not teach only Islamic law; NCERT says he rejected external worship in Islam and drew followers from both Hindus and Muslims.
- (B) Astrology is not part of Kabir's teaching in the NCERT passage; his emphasis was devotion to a formless Supreme God, not prediction or horoscopy.
- (C) Kabir did not uphold only Hindu rituals; NCERT specifically says he ridiculed external worship in Brahmanical Hinduism and rejected priestly dominance.
Concept
This tests the Bhakti movement's challenge to ritualism, caste hierarchy and sectarian boundaries. It recurs in RAS because medieval devotional traditions are used to assess social reform, religious synthesis and popular movements in Indian history.