🧾 CBSE Class 12 History (Course B) – Sample Paper

Chapter 2: Bhakti-Sufi Traditions

Full Marks: 100   Time: 3 Hours
General Instructions:

1. Answer all questions as directed.
2. Word limits should be adhered to.
3. Marks are indicated against each question.
4. Support answers with examples where possible.

Section A – Very Short Answer Questions (1 × 4 = 4 marks)

Q1. What does the term Bhakti mean in Sanskrit?
Answer: Bhakti means devotion or complete surrender to a personal god or goddess. It emphasizes love and faith over rituals.
Marks: 1

Q2. Name any two popular Sufi orders (Silsilas) in India.
Answer: Chishti and Suhrawardi.
Marks: 1

Q3. Who founded the Virashaiva or Lingayat movement in Karnataka?
Answer: Basavanna (Basaveshwara).
Marks: 1

Q4. Name one famous female Bhakti poet from South India.
Answer: Andal.
Marks: 1

Section B – Short Answer Questions (3 × 6 = 18 marks)

Q5. Write a short note on the main features of early Bhakti traditions.
Answer:

• Emphasized devotion (bhakti) over ritual sacrifices.
• Rejected caste distinctions and priestly authority.
• Promoted direct relationship between devotee and deity.
• Encouraged use of regional languages for hymns and poetry.
• Popular saints: Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar, and Andal.
  Marks: 3

Q6. Describe the main teachings of Basavanna and the Virashaiva tradition.
Answer:

• Rejected Brahmanical rituals and caste system.
• Believed in equality of men and women.
• Worship of Ishtalinga (personal linga worn around the neck).
• Condemned idol worship and temple building.
• Promoted simple living and community life (Anubhava Mantapa).
  Marks: 3

Q7. What were the main features of Sufi practices?
Answer:

• Emphasis on love, devotion, and surrender to God.
• Use of zikr (chanting divine names), sama (music), and meditation.
• Rejection of material wealth and power.
• Promoted universal brotherhood and tolerance.
• Established khanqahs (Sufi hospices) for teaching and service.
  Marks: 3

Q8. How did the Chishti Sufis adapt themselves to the Indian environment?
Answer:

• Adopted local languages like Hindavi.
• Participated in local festivals and traditions.
• Avoided direct involvement in politics.
• Maintained close contact with common people.
• Accepted donations from all communities.
  Marks: 3

Section C – Long Answer Questions (6 × 5 = 30 marks)

Q9. Compare the ideas of the Bhakti movement with those of the Sufi movement.
Answer:

Q10. Describe the teachings and contributions of Kabir.
Answer:

• Condemned idol worship, caste system, and ritualism.
• Emphasized nirguna bhakti (devotion to formless God).
• Used simple Hindi couplets called dohas.
• Believed that Ram and Rahim were one.
• United Hindus and Muslims through spiritual message.
• His verses are preserved in the Bijak and Adi Granth.
  Marks: 5

Q11. What role did women play in the Bhakti movement? Give examples.
Answer:

• Women broke social barriers to express devotion.
• Andal (Tamil Nadu) worshipped Vishnu and composed hymns in Tamil.
• Mirabai (Rajasthan) devoted herself to Krishna, defying royal norms.
• Akka Mahadevi (Karnataka) preached equality and spiritual freedom.
• Women’s participation challenged patriarchal norms of society.
  Marks: 5

Q12. Examine the major themes of Sufi poetry and literature.
Answer:

• Love as the path to God.
• Concept of fana (self-annihilation in God).
• Importance of tolerance and humanity.
• Mystical union and longing for the divine beloved.
• Use of symbolic language—wine, beloved, garden, etc.
• Famous poets: Rumi, Hafiz, Amir Khusrau, Bulleh Shah.
  Marks: 5

Q13. Discuss the interaction between Bhakti and Sufi saints in medieval India.
Answer:

• Shared emphasis on love, devotion, and equality.
• Both opposed orthodoxy and religious exclusivity.
• Encouraged use of local languages for teaching.
• Many common themes—unity of God, compassion, humility.
• Helped create composite Indo-Islamic culture.
  Marks: 5

Q14. How do historians reconstruct the histories of religious traditions like Bhakti and Sufism?
Answer:

• Study of literary sources: hagiographies, poems, devotional songs.
• Use of inscriptions, coins, and architectural evidence.
• Analysis of oral traditions and manuscripts.
• Comparison of regional variations.
• Critical reading of texts to separate myth from historical fact.
  Marks: 5

Section D – Source-Based Questions (3 × 8 = 24 marks)

Q15. Source 1: The Teachings of Basavanna

“The rich build temples for Shiva.
What shall I, a poor man, do?
My legs are pillars, the body the shrine,
the head a cupola of gold.”

(a) What does Basavanna mean by this poem? (2)
(b) How does it reflect the values of the Virashaiva movement? (3)
(c) Explain its criticism of contemporary society. (3)

Answers:
(a) Basavanna emphasizes that devotion is internal, not dependent on wealth or temples.
(b) It shows the Virashaiva belief in personal devotion and rejection of rituals.
(c) It criticizes the inequality between rich and poor and temple-based Brahmanism.
Marks: 8

Q16. Source 2: A Sufi Saying

“Be tolerant like the river, which makes no distinction between the good and bad who drink from it.”

(a) What message does the Sufi saint convey? (2)
(b) How does this reflect Sufi ideas? (3)
(c) What impact did such ideas have on Indian society? (3)

Answers:
(a) The message of universal love and acceptance.
(b) Reflects the Sufi emphasis on compassion and unity of mankind.
(c) Promoted communal harmony and moral reform in Indian society.
Marks: 8

Q17. Source 3: The Voice of Kabir

“If you search for God, look within yourself.
Do not wander to temples and mosques.”

(a) What is Kabir rejecting here? (2)
(b) What does he propose as the true path to God? (3)
(c) How did his ideas influence later reform movements? (3)

Answers:
(a) Kabir rejects external worship and religious institutions.
(b) He advocates inner devotion and purity of heart.
(c) Influenced Sikhism and later social reformers like Nanak and the Bhakti saints.
Marks: 8

Section E – Map Question (4 marks)

Q18. On the outline map of India, mark and label the following:
(a) Delhi – Centre of Chishti Sufis
(b) Pandharpur – Associated with Varkari Bhakti tradition
(c) Kashi (Varanasi) – Associated with Kabir
(d) Shringeri – Centre of early Bhakti in South India

Marks: 4

Total Marks: 100

✅ End of Paper