Question

What were the festivals celebrated in the medieval period?
A. Gudi Padwa
B. Nagapanchami
C. Holi
D. All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Medieval India refers to the long term period of the Indian subcontinent from the 6th to the 16thcenturies starting with the end of the last great ancient empire, that of the Gupta, and ending in the rise of the great Mughal empire. The time witnessed developments in modern Hinduism, the decline of Buddhism in India, and the establishment of Islam within the subcontinent. In alliance with these changes of religious make-up in Indian society laid foundations in art, architecture, and literature. Art has mainly consisted of visual aids backed up by cultures through various festivals.

Complete step by step answer:
The early 6thcentury witnessed a rapid decline of the Gupta empire. By around the middle of the century Gupta power had demolished and India was attacked by numerous rival kingdoms. The Chalukya dynasty in the north and Chera, Chola, Pandiyas in the south started their reign and eventually built their empires. The first major incursion of Islam into the Indian subcontinent happened when an Arab army of the Muslim Caliph captured westernmost areas including Makhram, Sind, and Multan, in the early 8th century. This laid the foundation for Muslim communities to arrive in India.
Within this period, Indian society grew increasingly sophisticated. The caste system became obvious as Hinduism took over. The status of women changed from high-status women, especially queens, being involved in government, and some participated in the fine arts, especially in the development of music and dance. These dances formed a cultural bond in between communities and as the ideologies grew, their modes of celebrations through festivals, majorly in alliance with their spirituality increased. The common feature between these aspects was that they were devotional, and emotional, in style than the ancient Vedic religion of the brahmans, which revolved around public worship. Hence many festivals started forming ;
- Gudi padwa is celebrated in the north Indian region (Marathi and Kannada) in the springtime as the day to welcome a new year and refers to the first day of a lunar fortnight.
- Naga Panchami is celebrated on the same day to worship Nagas and other gods when it marks the first day of the lunar fortnight. This is celebrated in the northeastern states and Bhutan.
- Holi is a popular ancient Hindu festival, celebrated as the "festival of spring", the "festival of colors", or the "festival of love celebrates to signify the victory of good over evil.
All these festivals were celebrated during medieval times to strengthen the bond between communities and create a god loving atmosphere.

So, the correct answer is Option :

Note: The pattern of Hindu society in the South was different from that of the North even though they worshiped the same gods, their festivals had different names yet similar patterns of celebrations. Other important festivals include Deepavali and Karthigai which also celebrated the victory of good over evil. Several festivals in connection with the Shia faith were celebrated by the Muslims including Muharram.