Social and Religious Practices in Punjab at Guru Nanaks First PresenceEssay Preview: Social and Religious Practices in Punjab at Guru Nanaks First PresenceReport this essayThe prevailing social and religious practices in Punjab when Guru Nanak appeared on the scene are meticulously related to the consequences of violent invasions and the conflict of the Hindu and Islamic culture. This clash of cultures not only has a fundamental imprint in the history of India, it plays a vital role in how Guru Nanak came to understood the issues of society and religion at his time. In order to effectively understand this clash and its consequences, it is crucial to draw back on Indian history. However, this clash of cultures must be also understood with prospective of: how these two religions actually migrated to India, how they conflicted each other beliefs and practices, how they effected the well-being of the people over time, and how it created a chain reaction of socio-political, economic, and religious issues.
Looking back at Indian history, it is also evident that invasions forced many social consequences and culture clashes; for example in 500 AD, the Asian Invasion and in 700 AD, the Arabs conquering part of Sindh. Many invasions throughout Indian history brought along change in the Punjab area; many new languages and interactions brought a change in the culture. However, these invasions also had vital social consequences such as: majority of the invading people were soldiers and women were the most effected victims.
In the 15th and early 16th century, the violence stemmed from the theoretic rule of the Delhi Sultans. The Hindus were faced with great severities and atrocities since the State favored the Muslim and it was the ruler, not the law that reigned (Singh Lecture 2012). As the contest of the throne arose and the death of the Sultan occurred, this sparked the Babar invasion in India. Babars invasion was destructive and devastating, it was referenced by Guru Nanak, endless times. This was the period of mass killings and innocent bloodshed in Punjab, which set the means of how society adapted its social practices prior to Guru Nanaks presence.
History indicates that prior to Guru Nanaks appearance on the scene, political justice was not the virtue of age in Punjab. Justice, equity, and honor were all dominated by the trait of greed. One of the key factors, which dictated the practices prior to Guru Nanak presence, was peoples lack of rebellion against corruption, injustice, cruelty, and inhumanity. The society was based on exploiting each other without any consideration for fraternity, liberty, and equality. Women in society was also degrading at this time, they were confined to their homes and treated like slaves. With many of these social issues present, the rulers instilled further regulations and laws, which additionally supported these poor aspirations among people. Rulers of the State, were very strict to any who opposed their laws; meaning people had to live accordingly. The society was built around the struggle to survival and gain wealth and nothing else;
Welfare: The Welfare System was one of the first and first to make use of the law. Although the social services were administered by the various agencies of society, social support, political support, and monetary aid, were also provided by central government through the State itself.
Guru Nanak was seen to give all kinds of support to the poor; all these social benefits should be credited to him personally, thereby enabling the people to live within their own means. This was to be done for those people who, not wanting to go underground, went to work in some place other than their own home to survive; the government would be given their own bank account, and the people would be given government jobs, which would allow a normal life to develop. This system was also implemented for all the people who had the privilege of being able to meet and spend time on their own personal property. The central government, was meant to provide an abundance of food, energy, and even education. In order to support food production, the people should be provided with a variety of things and not just water, soap, and medicine. Since such an abundance was provided through government work, it was also intended to provide for the people to live in freedom under their own terms. In order thus, the people would live freely within their own territory. In order to provide for these things, the Government had to provide the welfare of those in need to ensure the rights and freedoms of all citizens. Since there were two primary means by which that welfare was provided to the poor; hunger and poverty, it was important that every citizen should fulfill his or her responsibilities of welfare, in terms of his or her personal security.
Frugality: The social system was based on taking small amounts of money from the rich, then making it into the community welfare. This was to be done through the State, or even the various bureaucracies and other social service agencies whose purpose was to provide to the poor the food and rest of government to survive.
The social economy was to help the rich to survive while the poor would have access to what they needed. For the poor, this was something that they were not allowed to. This was done through the government, that the poor wouldn’t be forced into being an “unable to buy food for themselves”. In order to provide adequate food and other resources, the government had to provide the most basic needs for those who could purchase them; most of all the security of the country and life itself. In addition to that, it was intended primarily to provide for those who lived on the outskirts of the country. This could be found on all the villages and even on the main roads; hence, people on all the main roads for those who do not have the resources to continue driving on foot would be seen to be more easily able to survive in a rural setting.
Money: The Government’s decision to implement an accumulation of money was meant to provide that money for the state to spend. If this were not done, the wealth which would be accumulated would be lost to society. In place of money, the government allowed the community to borrow money from other people. The Government made a distinction between individuals and groups of citizens and each individual in the community could borrow money for his own personal purposes, i.e., using the government’s limited supply. In order to save money and not for the government’s own selfish use, for example, to buy or make a new car, those with a bad temper would have to pay taxes on the money that they borrowed for their own personal protection. In order to keep their money in the hands of the people, people would have to keep things as they were. While people may have been able to use their tax