The Neo-Vaishnavite Movement of Assam Unit 7
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GHT S6 02(M) Exam Codes: HTM6B CULTURAL HISTORY OF ASSAM SEMESTER - VI HISTORY BLOCK - 2 KRISHNA KANTA HANDIQUI STATE OPEN UNIVERSITY Subject Expert 1. Dr. Sunil Pravan Baruah, Retd. Principal, B.Barooah College, Guwahati 2. Dr. Gajendra Adhikari, Principal, D.K.Girls’ College, Mirza 3. Dr. Maushumi Dutta Pathak, HOD, History, Arya Vidyapeeth College, Guwahati Course Co-ordinator : Dr. Priti Salila Rajkhowa, Asst. Prof. (KKHSOU) SLM Preparation Team UNITS CONTRIBUTORS 7 Dr. Priti Salila Rajkhowa, KKHSOU 8 Dr. Mridutpal Goswami, Dudhnoi College 9 &11 Muktar Rahman Saikia, St. Jhon College, Dimapur, Nagaland 10 Dr Sukmaya Lama, KKHSOU 12 Niharika Buragohain, Department of Man communication, Sikkim University & Dr Priti Salila Rajkhowa. Editorial Team Content Editing: Dr Moushumi Dutta Pathak, Department of History, SArya Vidyapeeth College Dr. Priti Salila Rajkhowa, Department of History, KKHSOU Structure, Format & Graphics : Dr. Priti Salila Rajkhowa, KKHSOU December , 2019 © Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University. This Self Learning Material (SLM) of the Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike4.0 License (international): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Printed and published by Registrar on behalf of the Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University. Head Office : Patgaon, Rani Gate, Guwahati-781017 City Office : Housefed Complex, Dispur, Guwahati-781 006; Web: www.kkhsou.in The University acknowledges with thanks the financial support provided by the Distance Education Council, New Delhi, for the preparation of this study material. BACHELOR OF ARTS CULTURAL HISTORY OF ASSAM DETAILED SYLLABUS BLOCK - 2 PAGES UNIT 7 : The Neo Vaishnavite Movement of Assam 117-123 Origin and Development of the Neo-Vaishnavite Movement in Assam; Sri Sankardev and his contribution in the Neo-Vaishnavite Movement; Neo- Vaishnavite Movement after Sankardev UNIT 8 : Neo Vaishnavite Institutions: Stucture and Culture 124-138 Growth of Institutions under the Neo-Vaishnavite Movement; Satras; Namghars; Socio-Cultural Influence of the Satras and the Namghars, Relevance in contemporary period UNIT 9 : Performing Arts of Assam 139-149 History of Dance and Music in Early Assam; Temple Dance: Nati, Devadasi; Ojapali dance, Satriya Dance; Borgeet; Ankiya Nat; Bhaona UNIT 10 : Art and Architecture of Assam 150-187 Early Assamese Sculpture; Secular Architecture; Religious Architectures, Paintings of Assam: Satriya Painting, Manuscript Painting; Traditional Folk Paintings of Assam UNIT 11 : Contributions of Islamic Culture 188-203 Making of Assamese Culture and the role of Islam, Islamic Art and Architecture: Music and Dance UNIT 12 : Assamese Cinema and Theatre 204-210 Trends of Assamese Cinema: J. P. Agarwalla to Bhaben Saikia, Mobile Theatre- Origin, Development, Yatra, Theatre as an Industry BLOCK INTRODUCTION This is the Second block of the course Cultural History of Assam and it consists of six units. The Seventh unit is The Neo Vaishnavite Movement of Assam. This unit discusses the Origin and Development of the Neo-Vaishnavite Movement in Assam; Sri Sankardev and his contribution in the Neo-Vaishnavite Movement; Neo-Vaishnavite Movement after Sankardev. The Eighth unit is Neo Vaishnavite Institutions: Stucture and Culture. This unit discusses the Growth of Institutions under the Neo-Vaishnavite Movement; Satras; Namghars; Socio-Cultural Influence of the Satras and the Namghars, Relevance in contemporary period. The Nineth unit is Performing Arts of Assam. This unit discusses History of Dance and Music in Early Assam; Temple Dance: Nati, Devadasi; Ojapali dance, Satriya Dance; Borgeet; Ankiya Nat; Bhaona. The Tenth unit is Art and Architecture of Assam. This unit discusses Early Assamese Sculpture; Secular Architecture; Religious Architectures, Paintings of Assam: Satriya Painting, Manuscript Painting; Traditional Folk Paintings of Assam. The Eleventh unit is Contributions of Islamic Culture. This unit discusses the Making of Assamese Culture and the role of Islam, Islamic Art and Architecture: Music and Dance The Twelvth unit titled Assamese Cinema and Theatre. This unit discusses the trends of Assamese Cinema: J. P. Agarwalla to Bhaben Saikia, Mobile Theatre- Origin, Development, Yatra, Theatre as an Industry. While going through this paper, you will notice that some boxes are put in the left hand or right hand side of the text. These boxes are meant to serve the purpose of in-text glossary for you. Again, you may find some boxes marked with: “LET US KNOW”. These boxes will provide you with some additional interesting and relevant information. The boxes marked with “ACTIVITY” will help you in making your learning more active and efficient. And, at the end of each section, you will get “CHECK YOUR PROGRESS” questions. These have been designed to self-check your progress of study. It will be better if you solve the problems put in these boxes immediately after you go through the sections of the units and then match your answers with “ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS” given at the end of each unit. The Neo-Vaishnavite Movement of Assam Unit 7 UNIT 7 : THE NEO-VAISHNAVITE MOVEMENT OF ASSAM UNIT STRUCTURE 7.1 Learning Objectives 7.2 Introduction 7.3 Origin and Development of Neo-Vaishnavite Movement in Assam 7.4 Sankaradeva and the Neo-Vaishnavite Movement 7.5 Neo-Vaishnavite Movement after Sankaradeva in Assam 7.6 Let Us Sum Up 7.7 Answers To Check Your Progress 7.8 Further Reading 7.9 Model Questions 7.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES After going through this unit, you will be able to learn • Discuss the origin and development of Neo-Vaishnavite Movement, • Discuss the contributions of Sankaradeva towards Neo-Vaishnavite Movement, • Describe the development of Neo-Vaishnavite Movement after Sankaradeva. 7.2 INTRODUCTION The Bhakti Movement (800-1700) started in South India in the sixth and the seventh centuries AD. The movement then gradually spread into the whole of India in the following centuries. The Bhakti Movement took different shape in different places. Still the basic character and motive of the movement remained the same. The movement opposed Brahmanical dominance, religious fanaticism, ritualism and casteism. It advocated for reaching God through love and devotion. Cultural History of Assam 117 Unit 7 The Neo-Vaishnavite Movement of Assam The saints of the Bhakti Movement communicated to people through their devotional songs and dances. Tukaram in Maharastra, Mirabai in Rajasthan, the Sufi’s in Punjab, Kabira in Uttar Pradesh and Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva in Assam were a few of the major saints of the Bhakti Movement. According to their belief, God is one and he may be reached through love and devotion to Him. 7.3 ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEO- VAISHNAVA MOVEMENT IN ASSAM It was SrimantaSankaradeva (1449-1568) who founded the Bhakti Movement in Assam towards the end of the fifteenth century AD. He was assisted by his disciples, chief among whom was Sri SriMadavadeva (1489- 1596). The religion taught by Sankardeva is Neo-Vaisnavism. It is based on the BhagavataPurana, shortly known as the Bhagavata. Therefore, his religion is known both as Neo-Vaisnavism and as Bhagavati Dharma. The religion teaches to take shelter in one God. This God is none other than Lord Krishna, a form of Lord Visnu. As it believes in one God, it is known as Ekasarana Dharma. It emphasizes on Naama (“citing of God’s name”) as a way of expressing devotion to God, for which it is also known as the Naama Dharma. The religion is also known as the EkasaranaNaama Dharma. Another name of the religion is Mahapurusiya Dharma, because Sankaradeva is considered to be a “Mahapurusa” (“Great Person”). Besides spreading religious and spiritual messages, Sankaradeva’s religion reformed and united the contemporary Assamese society by opposing social distinctions like caste and religion. He also shaped Assamese culture by founding Satra (a religious institution) and Naamghar (a type of prayer-house) and by inventing forms like Bhaona (“drama”), Satriya Dance (a dance form) and Bargeet (“holy songs of high standard”). Sankaradeva’s plays are known as AnkiyaNaat. 118 Cultural History of Assam The Neo-Vaishnavite Movement of Assam Unit 7 The epoch of the Bhakti Movement continued in Assam for almost two centuries after Sankaradeva’s demise in 1568. It was guided during this period by various Vaisnavite leaders such as Damodaradeva and Harideva. Neo-Vaisnavism however did not stop to continue after the end of the Bhakti Movement. 7.4 SANKARADEVA AND NEO-VAISHNAVITE MOVEMENT Vishnu worship was prevalent in the Brahmaputra Valley from very long past. The third important sect that prevailed in Assam on the eve of Sankardeva’s neo-vaishnavism was the Vaishnavism. This form of Vaishnavism was different from the one introduced by Sankardeva. Main difference between these two phases of Vaishnavism was that, in the earlier phase Vishnu was worshiped in the form of idol but Sankardeva’s Neo- Vaishnavism differs from that, in that it was popularized the cult of Krishna form of Vishnu worship with the most simple way of devotion called bhakti. Within two hundred years of inception the movement firmly established the Vaishnava faith as the supreme religious order of the Brahmaputra Valley. The socio-political situation of the Brahmaputra Valley, at this point of time produced the best fertile field for harvesting new socio-religious seeds. The state was scattered among various tribes with their own political as well as religious believes. There was absence of unity in every spheres of society. The common people at this situation had to face difficulties everywhere. Socially with the entrance of the brahmonical elements into their society, they were not treated equally, politically they had experienced the feudal hardship, and in the religious field also they did not have their own choice, as brahmonical elements were main force behind religion. In such a situation great socio-religious reformer of medieval Assam Sankardeva took birth at Barduwa in present Nawgong district of Assam in 1449 A.D.