Kabir's Intellectual Movement: Second Stage of OBC Renaissance

                                                           -RAJENDRA PRASAD SINGH

The new intellectual movement led by Kabir, that surfaced in India in the fourteenth century, has been termed as 'Bhakti andolan' (Bhakti movement) by most historians. Ramvilas Sharma, the famous Hindi critic and writer of several books on history calls it 'Lok Jagran' (Public Awakening). He opines that the age of Kabir, Jayasi, Surdas and Tulsidas was the age of public awakening. However, the fact is that Kabir's intellectual movement was neither a 'Bhakti Andolan' nor a 'Lok Jagran'. It was, in fact, the second stage of the 'OBC renaissance'. Buddha was the originator of this renaissance and so, naturally, Buddha had the greatest influence on Kabir.

Kabir: Buddha's next link

The followers of both Buddha and Kabir were the toiling OBC masses, including farmers and artisans. There are fundamental similarities between the principles of Buddha and Kabir. 'Dukkha-Satya' (Noble Truth of Suffering) 'Dukkha-Samudaya' (Noble Truth of the cause of suffering) 'Dukkha Nirodh' (Noble truth of cessation of suffering) and 'Dukkha-Nirodhbhamini pratipad' (Noble Truth of the path leading to cessation of suffering) – are all reflected in Kabir's poetry. 'Madhyma Pratipada' (The Middle Path) is an important pillarstone of Buddhism and Kabir also subscribes to it. He always urged the saints to follow the Middle Path. No only that, several components of the Eight-fold Path can be found in the writings of Kabir. Probably that is why, Kabir never criticised the Buddhist principles. He criticises the 'Shaivites'. He also criticises 'Shaktam-Samarthams' (Worshippers of Shakti and of all Hindu deities respectively). Vaishnavs, Siddha, Charwak, Jains -- he spares none. But nowhere in his poetry does he criticise the Buddhist faith. Some scholars attribute this to the fact that the places of birth and death of Kabir were either close to Buddhist centres of pilgrimage or were surrounded by them.

Differences between the 'Lok Jagran' of Kabir and Tulsi

Dr. Ramvilas Sharma failed to comprehend the differences between Kabir's public awakening and that of Tulsi. The public awakening led by Kabir was very different from the one led by Tulsi. While Tulsi was a believer in the Varna system, Kabir was opposed to it. Kabir was the advocate of 'Sramana' culture. Kabir understood the value of labour while Tulsi believed in making a living by seeking alms. Tulsi never valued labour as much as Kabir did. Kabir had no liking for begging. He believed in earning one's bread by the sweat of one's brow. Unlike Tulsi, Kabir was not desirous of heaven or 'Moksha'.  Kabir only wanted so much that would meet the basic needs of an ordinary farmer or a labourer. He wanted two 'ser' flour, one-half 'ser' pulses, a quarter kilo ghee, salt and a cot to sleep on. Kabir had no faith in the Vedas and in Smriti texts. On the other hand, the Vedas and the Puranas were the source of knowledge for Tulsi. 'Moksha' had different meanings for both of them. Not only that. Tulsi had faith in the Varna system while Kabir rejected it outright. It is obvious that a belief in the Varna system and in religious rituals cannot be described as public awakening or renaissance by any stretch of the imagination. Kabir's writings are imbued with logic, evidence, intellectualism, individualism, scientific temper, labour values, freedom from the stifling control of the religious establishment and a conscious effort at social reform.

Obviously, Kabir's poetry is full of the elements of renaissance or shall we say, OBC renaissance, while Tulsi's poetry is utterly devoid of them. Kabir and Tulsi were poles apart. Still, one doesn't know how and why the historians have clubbed both these poets together and associated them with Bhakti Andolan or Lok Jagran. The truth is that Kabir was the harbinger of an OBC renaissance in medieval India.

Kabir's OBC followers:

Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay 'Harioudh' writes that most of the Kabirpanthis are lower caste Hindus and the number of Upper caste Hindus among them is negligible. Most of the 'Gurus' of this sect are also from the lower castes. The sect has both recluses as well as householders in its ranks but the number of householders is much higher.  Clearly, a majority of the disciples of Kabir were householders of lower castes. The 'Gahpatis' of the Buddhist era were, in a sense, the householders of Kabir's times. Householders included the farmers, labourers and artisans having family and children. Probably, that is why, Romila Thapar says that artisans and farmers played an important role in spreading Kabir's message.  OBC communities like 'Mali' (Gardeners), 'Koeri' (cattle-rearers) , Luhar (Ironsmiths), 'Kumhar' (Potters), 'Kasera' (Coppersmiths,' Badhai' (Carpenters), 'Rangrez' (Dyers), 'Sunar' (Goldsmiths), 'Julaha' (Weavers),  'Gadaria' (graziers) and 'Darzi' (tailors) were followers of Kabir. His favourite disciple was Dharmadas, who was a 'Bania' by caste. He established the Chhattisgarhi branch of Kabirpanthi sect. Amongst the branches of Kabirpanthis, this was the most wide-spread and the biggest in terms of the number of followers. Another branch of Kabirpanthis is in Dhanoti (Bihar). It was established by Bhagwan Das. He was 'Ahir' (milch cattle rearer) and originally hailed from Pishorabad (Bundelkhand). It is said that he accompanied Kabir on all his expeditions. Dharmadas (Bania) and Bhagwandas (Ahir) played a key role in preserving Kabir’s writings.

Kabir, peasants and the bucket-wheel:

It is well-known that Kabir was not a farmer but a craftsman. Despite this, he was well acquainted with the trials and tribulations of the peasants. His writings contain copious references to the life of the peasants, being crushed by medieval Indian feudalism. His poetry describes the cruel exploitation of the farmers by the feudal lords and their miserable lives. He presented the horrible condition of the farmers in contemporary society in an allegorical style. In one of his verses his says, ''I do not want to live in this village. The 'karinde' (agents of the landlord) of this village are very shrewd and cruel. Patwaris spend endlessly on merry-making''. He writes that farmers are subjected to injustice even in the measurement of their land. That is because the landlords use poor-quality 'zarib' (rope for measuring land). The size of the land is dishonestly over-estimated. In another verse, he says that the rope used for admeasuring land is of poor quality. Injustice is being done to the farmers. Additionally, survey officials take 'begar' (forced labour) from the farmers.

Obviously, the poetic beauty of this kind of verses of Kabir--penned in allegorical style-lies in their euphemistic description of the repression of the farmers in the contemporary social context. Different kinds of land find frequent mention in the poetry of Kabir. On one kind of land nothing grows. Kabir describes it as 'usar' (barren). The second kind of land Kabir calls 'dowati'. It is a land where sand is mixed with the soil. The land used as 'khalihans' (place for storage of grains) was different and Kabir calls it 'kharihana'. Villages too were of different kinds. 'kheda' was a small village. 'gola' was the border of the village while 'mawas' was the village of rebel farmers. Many types of agricultural equipment are also described in Kabir's poetry. The wheel had been invented by the Buddhist era but the 'rahat' (bucket wheel) and 'dhankuli' used to draw water from wells were yet to be invented. Probably, Kabir was the first Hindi poet to have used the words 'rahat' and 'dhankuli'. Professor Irfan Habib writes that Babar was the first in India to describe a 'rahat'. During Babar's times, the 'rahat' was used in areas surrounding Lahore, Dipalpur and Sarhind. Obviously, the poetic use of the word 'rahat' by Kabir adds a new fact to the history of medieval India.

Kabir's poetry describes the entire process of paddy cultivation including planting, weeding and upturning of soil. In one of his verses, he has used the word 'bijuka'. It was an upturned pot or any similar thing hung in the fields to ward-off stray animals.

Kabir and other working classes of OBCs:

Kabir had a great affinity with the working classes of OBCs. He mentions such castes in many different ways in his poetry. He turns God into a weaver. He says that the God takes ten months to weave the cloth called the body. In one 'rameni' he writes, God, the weaver, is weaving the cloth of the universe. Sometimes he makes God a potter and sometimes a carpenter. But never, not even by mistake, does he make God a Brahmin or a Kshatriya. To express the fleeting nature of life, he draws parallels with the ironsmith's furnace. In one 'sakhi', he compares the 'Guru' (teacher) with 'Bahelia' (bird-hunter) and says that just like a bird-hunter sets a forest afire,  the teacher ignites the body and mind of the disciple with the fire of wisdom. In another 'sakhi', Kabir compares 'Satguru' with a 'Bania' and 'Sant' with 'Saudagar' (trader). To describe the uniqueness of spiritual love, Kabir uses 'Rasayan'  (chemical) as a symbol. In describing the process of production of chemicals, he has drawn the complete imagery of the preparation of liquor by a 'kalvar' (distiller of spirits). He has compared the God of death with a 'Mali' (gardener) in one of his 'sakhis'.

It is clear that Kabir's poetry is full of the names and technical jargon of the working classes of OBCs. There is a butcher, 'bheesti', vegetable-seller, potter, boatman, 'Ahir', 'Gurjar, pan-seller, ironsmith, 'Behi' (a caste of weavers), goldsmith, 'teli', washerman and many other working classes in Kabir's poetry.

Moreover, Kabir has used the jargon of caste-based occupations in his poetry at several places. If he mentions 'teli' he also mentions 'kolhu' (crusher worked by bullocks). He even mentions the 'seethi' (Oil-cake) left after extracting oil from oilseeds. Kabir also talks of the vessel in which is collected the juice extracted by the bullocks working the 'kolhu'. In Kabir's words it is called 'chatha'. Kabir also refers to the tradition of free distribution of the juice extracted on the first day of the operation of 'kolhu' among the people. He describes this tradition as 'Ratbalian'.

Like 'Telis', the jargon of ironsmiths also finds frequent mention in the poetry of Kabir. Thus there is 'nihai' (anvil) in it and so also 'ghan' (sledge hammer), 'nihali', 'taka', 'chaini' and the 'dhonkni' (blow-pipe)--all used by Ironsmiths. Similarly, many terms and instruments used by weavers also find a place in his writings. These include 'kargahi' (the lower portion of the work-place of weavers), 'kooch' (weavers' brush), 'gaadh' (the hollow in which the weavers spread their feet while working) and 'chamrakh'  (the grass strands used to warp around the beads of the spinning wheel) etc. Kabir also had minute knowledge of the working of carpenters. With the help of an analogy, he describes the entire process of sawing of wood. He has used the names of several instruments, including 'aAra' (saw) and 'kulahara (big axe), used by carpenters in his poetry.

Kabir was a householder. His disciples were also householders. No wonder, his poetry is replete with the names of household articles. For instance, 'anna' (Food grains) 'chun' (flour), 'obri' (small room), 'kathwan' (wooden vessel), 'kadchi' (big spoon), 'katarni' (scissors),  'dora' (thread), 'khatia' (bed), 'gaagri' (earthen pitcher), 'mudar' (old, tattered cloth), 'gondri' (mat made of straw), 'chakki' (stone-grinder), 'dauva' (wooden spoon), 'dandi' (beam of a weighing balance), 'dibuwa' (money), 'thari' (plate), 'bugcha' (bundle), etc. find place in his writings. Not only that, cattle-rearing, which was an inseparable part of the households, also figures in his poetry. For instance, 'khur' (lower part of the feet of four-legged animals), 'khoota' (peg), 'khorhi' (place where the fodder for cattle is kept), 'gau' (cow), 'gadar' (sheep), 'goru' (cattle), 'charwa' (fodder of animals), 'chachihari' (woman seller of butter milk) and 'lehda' (Herd of cattle) are mentioned in his writings.

Thus, we find that the history of many labouring castes is reflected in the poetry of Kabir. But these castes were living at the margins of society mainly due to the 'arna system. Kabir opposed the Varna system and tried to integrate these castes into the mainstream of the society. He blasted the self-glorification of the Brahmins and made fun of the 'Varna' system that was in vogue then and also of the false pride of the upper castes. To sum up, it can be said that Kabir fought against Brahmanism and feudalism and was a great supporter of the OBCs.                                                                                

The new intellectual movement led by Kabir, that surfaced in India in the fourteenth century, has been termed as 'Bhakti andolan' (Bhakti movement) by most historians. Ramvilas Sharma, the famous Hindi critic and writer of several books on history calls it 'Lok Jagran' (Public Awakening). He opines that the age of Kabir, Jayasi, Surdas and Tulsidas was the age of public awakening. However, the fact is that Kabir's intellectual movement was neither a 'Bhakti Andolan' nor a 'Lok Jagran'. It was, in fact, the second stage of the 'OBC renaissance'. Buddha was the originator of this renaissance and so, naturally, Buddha had the greatest influence on Kabir.

Kabir: Buddha's next link

The followers of both Buddha and Kabir were the toiling OBC masses, including farmers and artisans. There are fundamental similarities between the principles of Buddha and Kabir. 'Dukkha-Satya' (Noble Truth of Suffering) 'Dukkha-Samudaya' (Noble Truth of the cause of suffering) 'Dukkha Nirodh' (Noble truth of cessation of suffering) and 'Dukkha-Nirodhbhamini pratipad' (Noble Truth of the path leading to cessation of suffering) – are all reflected in Kabir's poetry. 'Madhyma Pratipada' (The Middle Path) is an important pillarstone of Buddhism and Kabir also subscribes to it. He always urged the saints to follow the Middle Path. No only that, several components of the Eight-fold Path can be found in the writings of Kabir. Probably that is why, Kabir never criticised the Buddhist principles. He criticises the 'Shaivites'. He also criticises 'Shaktam-Samarthams' (Worshippers of Shakti and of all Hindu deities respectively). Vaishnavs, Siddha, Charwak, Jains -- he spares none. But nowhere in his poetry does he criticise the Buddhist faith. Some scholars attribute this to the fact that the places of birth and death of Kabir were either close to Buddhist centres of pilgrimage or were surrounded by them.

Differences between the 'Lok Jagran' of Kabir and Tulsi

Dr. Ramvilas Sharma failed to comprehend the differences between Kabir's public awakening and that of Tulsi. The public awakening led by Kabir was very different from the one led by Tulsi. While Tulsi was a believer in the Varna system, Kabir was opposed to it. Kabir was the advocate of 'Sramana' culture. Kabir understood the value of labour while Tulsi believed in making a living by seeking alms. Tulsi never valued labour as much as Kabir did. Kabir had no liking for begging. He believed in earning one's bread by the sweat of one's brow. Unlike Tulsi, Kabir was not desirous of heaven or 'Moksha'.  Kabir only wanted so much that would meet the basic needs of an ordinary farmer or a labourer. He wanted two 'ser' flour, one-half 'ser' pulses, a quarter kilo ghee, salt and a cot to sleep on. Kabir had no faith in the Vedas and in Smriti texts. On the other hand, the Vedas and the Puranas were the source of knowledge for Tulsi. 'Moksha' had different meanings for both of them. Not only that. Tulsi had faith in the Varna system while Kabir rejected it outright. It is obvious that a belief in the Varna system and in religious rituals cannot be described as public awakening or renaissance by any stretch of the imagination. Kabir's writings are imbued with logic, evidence, intellectualism, individualism, scientific temper, labour values, freedom from the stifling control of the religious establishment and a conscious effort at social reform.

Obviously, Kabir's poetry is full of the elements of renaissance or shall we say, OBC renaissance, while Tulsi's poetry is utterly devoid of them. Kabir and Tulsi were poles apart. Still, one doesn't know how and why the historians have clubbed both these poets together and associated them with Bhakti Andolan or Lok Jagran. The truth is that Kabir was the harbinger of an OBC renaissance in medieval India.

Kabir's OBC followers:

Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay 'Harioudh' writes that most of the Kabirpanthis are lower caste Hindus and the number of Upper caste Hindus among them is negligible. Most of the 'Gurus' of this sect are also from the lower castes. The sect has both recluses as well as householders in its ranks but the number of householders is much higher.  Clearly, a majority of the disciples of Kabir were householders of lower castes. The 'Gahpatis' of the Buddhist era were, in a sense, the householders of Kabir's times. Householders included the farmers, labourers and artisans having family and children. Probably, that is why, Romila Thapar says that artisans and farmers played an important role in spreading Kabir's message.  OBC communities like 'Mali' (Gardeners), 'Koeri' (cattle-rearers) , Luhar (Ironsmiths), 'Kumhar' (Potters), 'Kasera' (Coppersmiths,' Badhai' (Carpenters), 'Rangrez' (Dyers), 'Sunar' (Goldsmiths), 'Julaha' (Weavers),  'Gadaria' (graziers) and 'Darzi' (tailors) were followers of Kabir. His favourite disciple was Dharmadas, who was a 'Bania' by caste. He established the Chhattisgarhi branch of Kabirpanthi sect. Amongst the branches of Kabirpanthis, this was the most wide-spread and the biggest in terms of the number of followers. Another branch of Kabirpanthis is in Dhanoti (Bihar). It was established by Bhagwan Das. He was 'Ahir' (milch cattle rearer) and originally hailed from Pishorabad (Bundelkhand). It is said that he accompanied Kabir on all his expeditions. Dharmadas (Bania) and Bhagwandas (Ahir) played a key role in preserving Kabir’s writings.

Kabir, peasants and the bucket-wheel:

It is well-known that Kabir was not a farmer but a craftsman. Despite this, he was well acquainted with the trials and tribulations of the peasants. His writings contain copious references to the life of the peasants, being crushed by medieval Indian feudalism. His poetry describes the cruel exploitation of the farmers by the feudal lords and their miserable lives. He presented the horrible condition of the farmers in contemporary society in an allegorical style. In one of his verses his says, ''I do not want to live in this village. The 'karinde' (agents of the landlord) of this village are very shrewd and cruel. Patwaris spend endlessly on merry-making''. He writes that farmers are subjected to injustice even in the measurement of their land. That is because the landlords use poor-quality 'zarib' (rope for measuring land). The size of the land is dishonestly over-estimated. In another verse, he says that the rope used for admeasuring land is of poor quality. Injustice is being done to the farmers. Additionally, survey officials take 'begar' (forced labour) from the farmers.

Obviously, the poetic beauty of this kind of verses of Kabir--penned in allegorical style-lies in their euphemistic description of the repression of the farmers in the contemporary social context. Different kinds of land find frequent mention in the poetry of Kabir. On one kind of land nothing grows. Kabir describes it as 'usar' (barren). The second kind of land Kabir calls 'dowati'. It is a land where sand is mixed with the soil. The land used as 'khalihans' (place for storage of grains) was different and Kabir calls it 'kharihana'. Villages too were of different kinds. 'kheda' was a small village. 'gola' was the border of the village while 'mawas' was the village of rebel farmers. Many types of agricultural equipment are also described in Kabir's poetry. The wheel had been invented by the Buddhist era but the 'rahat' (bucket wheel) and 'dhankuli' used to draw water from wells were yet to be invented. Probably, Kabir was the first Hindi poet to have used the words 'rahat' and 'dhankuli'. Professor Irfan Habib writes that Babar was the first in India to describe a 'rahat'. During Babar's times, the 'rahat' was used in areas surrounding Lahore, Dipalpur and Sarhind. Obviously, the poetic use of the word 'rahat' by Kabir adds a new fact to the history of medieval India.

Kabir's poetry describes the entire process of paddy cultivation including planting, weeding and upturning of soil. In one of his verses, he has used the word 'bijuka'. It was an upturned pot or any similar thing hung in the fields to ward-off stray animals.

Kabir and other working classes of OBCs:

Kabir had a great affinity with the working classes of OBCs. He mentions such castes in many different ways in his poetry. He turns God into a weaver. He says that the God takes ten months to weave the cloth called the body. In one 'rameni' he writes, God, the weaver, is weaving the cloth of the universe. Sometimes he makes God a potter and sometimes a carpenter. But never, not even by mistake, does he make God a Brahmin or a Kshatriya. To express the fleeting nature of life, he draws parallels with the ironsmith's furnace. In one 'sakhi', he compares the 'Guru' (teacher) with 'Bahelia' (bird-hunter) and says that just like a bird-hunter sets a forest afire,  the teacher ignites the body and mind of the disciple with the fire of wisdom. In another 'sakhi', Kabir compares 'Satguru' with a 'Bania' and 'Sant' with 'Saudagar' (trader). To describe the uniqueness of spiritual love, Kabir uses 'Rasayan'  (chemical) as a symbol. In describing the process of production of chemicals, he has drawn the complete imagery of the preparation of liquor by a 'kalvar' (distiller of spirits). He has compared the God of death with a 'Mali' (gardener) in one of his 'sakhis'.

It is clear that Kabir's poetry is full of the names and technical jargon of the working classes of OBCs. There is a butcher, 'bheesti', vegetable-seller, potter, boatman, 'Ahir', 'Gurjar, pan-seller, ironsmith, 'Behi' (a caste of weavers), goldsmith, 'teli', washerman and many other working classes in Kabir's poetry.

Moreover, Kabir has used the jargon of caste-based occupations in his poetry at several places. If he mentions 'teli' he also mentions 'kolhu' (crusher worked by bullocks). He even mentions the 'seethi' (Oil-cake) left after extracting oil from oilseeds. Kabir also talks of the vessel in which is collected the juice extracted by the bullocks working the 'kolhu'. In Kabir's words it is called 'chatha'. Kabir also refers to the tradition of free distribution of the juice extracted on the first day of the operation of 'kolhu' among the people. He describes this tradition as 'Ratbalian'.

Like 'Telis', the jargon of ironsmiths also finds frequent mention in the poetry of Kabir. Thus there is 'nihai' (anvil) in it and so also 'ghan' (sledge hammer), 'nihali', 'taka', 'chaini' and the 'dhonkni' (blow-pipe)--all used by Ironsmiths. Similarly, many terms and instruments used by weavers also find a place in his writings. These include 'kargahi' (the lower portion of the work-place of weavers), 'kooch' (weavers' brush), 'gaadh' (the hollow in which the weavers spread their feet while working) and 'chamrakh'  (the grass strands used to warp around the beads of the spinning wheel) etc. Kabir also had minute knowledge of the working of carpenters. With the help of an analogy, he describes the entire process of sawing of wood. He has used the names of several instruments, including 'aAra' (saw) and 'kulahara (big axe), used by carpenters in his poetry.

Kabir was a householder. His disciples were also householders. No wonder, his poetry is replete with the names of household articles. For instance, 'anna' (Food grains) 'chun' (flour), 'obri' (small room), 'kathwan' (wooden vessel), 'kadchi' (big spoon), 'katarni' (scissors),  'dora' (thread), 'khatia' (bed), 'gaagri' (earthen pitcher), 'mudar' (old, tattered cloth), 'gondri' (mat made of straw), 'chakki' (stone-grinder), 'dauva' (wooden spoon), 'dandi' (beam of a weighing balance), 'dibuwa' (money), 'thari' (plate), 'bugcha' (bundle), etc. find place in his writings. Not only that, cattle-rearing, which was an inseparable part of the households, also figures in his poetry. For instance, 'khur' (lower part of the feet of four-legged animals), 'khoota' (peg), 'khorhi' (place where the fodder for cattle is kept), 'gau' (cow), 'gadar' (sheep), 'goru' (cattle), 'charwa' (fodder of animals), 'chachihari' (woman seller of butter milk) and 'lehda' (Herd of cattle) are mentioned in his writings.

Thus, we find that the history of many labouring castes is reflected in the poetry of Kabir. But these castes were living at the margins of society mainly due to the 'arna system. Kabir opposed the Varna system and tried to integrate these castes into the mainstream of the society. He blasted the self-glorification of the Brahmins and made fun of the 'Varna' system that was in vogue then and also of the false pride of the upper castes. To sum up, it can be said that Kabir fought against Brahmanism and feudalism and was a great supporter of the OBCs.  

                                                   (Published in  Forward Press, September, 2012 Issue)
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