History and Practices of Kabir Panthies in North India: A Sociological Enquiry

Abstract

Kabir was a leading figure in the Bhakti movement, which revolted against the exploitative social order. It challenged the prevailing hegemony of Brahmins and Mullah and denounced other social evils like religious dogmas, exploitative caste, and immoral practices of the priests and the ruling classes. He criticises not only Hindu and Islamic religious rites that are shallow and superstitious but also the hallowed authority of religious scriptures like the Vedas, Puranas, and Quran. He also satirises high-class people’s claims of social superiority, particularly Brahmins and Kazis. After Kabir, his disciples formed Kabir Panth according to their convenience and interpreted his philosophy in their own way. The deviation of Kabir Panthies has been influenced by social setup. This article discusses the philosophy of Kabir and different strands that emerged in the practices of Kabir by different Kabir panthies. Mainly there are two different Math, i.e., Kabir Chaura of Banaras and Dhamkheda of Chhattisgarh. Hence the differences of Kabir Panth across North India, particularly the differences between the Kabir Chaura of Banaras and Dhamkheda of Chhattisgarh, are analysed and discussed in this article.