Summary of 'Relations with the State'
This section details the relationships between burgeoning devotional movements, particularly in the Tamil region, and the ruling elite during significant historical periods in India. It highlights the emergence of chiefdoms, such as the Pallavas and Pandyas, in the early first millennium CE, where Buddhism and Jainism gained prominence through royal patronage, while also showing a marked opposition to these traditions within the bhakti hymns. Notably, the powerful Chola rulers supported Brahmanical practices and bhakti traditions, leading to the construction of temples and the establishment of rituals that connected kings with popular saints like the Nayanars and Alvars.
The section also introduces the concept of 'integration of cults', illustrating how major deities such as Vishnu and Shiva were accepted in varied local forms. As traditions merged, bhakti poets like Kabir and movements like those initiated by the Virashaivas critiqued social hierarchies, including caste systems, and highlighted their acceptance and incorporation of women and lower castes into mainstream worship practices. This dynamic interplay between spiritual movements and the political elite informed the evolution of religious practices in the subcontinent, moving toward a more inclusive and integrated faith experience that echoed the diverse beliefs within the community.