Q.Study the following source carefully and answer the questions that follow : The pilgrimage of the Mughal princess Jahanara, 1643 The following is an excerpt from Jahanara's biography of Shaikh Muinuddin Chishti, titled Munis al-Arwah (The Confidant of Spirits) : After praising the one God ... this lowly faqira (humble soul) Jahanara ... went from the capital Agra in the company of my great father (Emperor Shah Jahan) towards the pure region of incomparable Ajmer ... I was committed to this idea, that everyday in every station I would perform two cycles of optional prayer ... . For several days ... I did not sleep on a leopard skin at night, I did not extend my feet in the direction of the blessed sanctuary of the revered saving master, and I did not turn my back towards him. I passed the days beneath the trees. On Thursday, the fourth of the blessed month of Ramzan, I attained the happiness of pilgrimage to the illuminated and the perfumed tomb ... . With an hour of daylight remaining, I went to the holy sanctuary and rubbed my pale face with the dust of that threshold. From the doorway to the blessed tomb I went barefoot, kissing the ground. Having entered the dome, I went around the light-filled tomb of my master seven times ... Finally, with my own hand I put the finest quality of itar on the perfumed tomb of the revered one, and having taken off the rose scarf that I had on my head, I placed it on the top of the blessed tomb ... (29.1) How did Jahanara exhibit her faith and devotion to the Shaikh ?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Jahanara's pilgrimage account reveals deep Sufi devotion through physical austerity, ritual purity, and symbolic acts of submission at Muinuddin Chishti's dargah in Ajmer (1643).
The passage is a first-person narrative of spiritual devotion within the Sufi tradition of medieval India. Jahanara, daughter of Shah Jahan, describes her pilgrimage not as a political act but as the journey of a faqira — a seeker who has renounced worldly pride. Understanding the symbolic language of Sufi practice is key: every gesture she describes carries layers of meaning about humility, spiritual discipline, and the relationship between disciple and master.
(29.1) How did Jahanara exhibit her faith and devotion to the Shaikh?
Jahanara demonstrated her devotion through sustained acts of physical and spiritual discipline during the entire journey from Agra to Ajmer.
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Daily ritual prayer: She committed to performing two cycles of optional (nafl) prayer at every station along the route. These were not obligatory prayers but voluntary acts of worship, showing her dedication beyond mere duty.
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Physical austerity and directional respect: For several days she refused to sleep on a leopard skin (a symbol of comfort and status), did not extend her feet toward the Shaikh's sanctuary, and never turned her back to it. This reflects the Sufi practice of maintaining constant awareness of the spiritual master's presence, treating his tomb as if he were physically alive and watching.
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Renunciation of comfort: She "passed the days beneath the trees," forsaking the luxuries available to a Mughal princess, embodying the faqir ideal of detachment from worldly ease. …
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