A historian wants to study the twelfth-century movement in Karnataka whose followers came to be called Lingayats. Which of the following sources is the main basis of our understanding of this tradition?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Vachanas
The Lingayat or Virashaiva movement of twelfth-century Karnataka is known to us mainly from its vachanas, sayings composed in Kannada by the women and men who joined it.
NCERT (2026-27): “3. The Virashaiva Tradition in Karnataka “The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and the “pollution” attributed to certain groups by Brahmanas. They also questioned the theory of rebirth. These won them followers amongst those who were marginalised within the Brahmanical social order. The Lingayats also encouraged certain practices disapproved in the Dharmashastras, such as post-puberty marriage and the remarriage of widows. Our understanding of the Virashaiva tradition is derived from vachanas (literally, sayings) composed in Kannada by women and men who joined the movement.” |