HIST 10800 Lecture Notes - Lecture 27: Guru Nanak, Indian Ocean Trade
Document Summary
Muslims" strong monotheism kept them from being absorbed by the hindu majority, which most of the early conquered blended into. Hindus began to dress in the same styles of muslims. Hindu women in n india began to veil their faces as muslim women did. Women were not allowed to go out in public or meet socially with any man outside the family. Islam"s idea of equality of all believers had a strong appeal to lower-caste hindus and to untouchables. Nanak (1469-1539) became the guru (religious teacher) of a new religion which combined the monotheism of islam and the hindu idea of mystical union with god. Followers of nanak became known as sikhs, meaning disciples. Me rulers persecuted the sikhs and killed 2 of their gurus. Sikhs thus became a community of soldiers, ready to defend themselves or to attack.
