Discuss the role and contributions of Basavanna as a social reformer.

Category
GS-I
Published
2020-05-04 10:50:00

Subject: History

Approach

Introduction- brief introduction of Basavanna
His major contributions
- Anubhava Mantapa
- Vira Saiva movement
Conclude accordingly

Model Answer

Basava, also known as Basavanna (1106–1167)) was a philosopher and a social reformer, who fought against social evils of his time such as caste system and the ritual practices of Hinduism. His teachings and philosophy transcend all boundaries and address the universal and eternal. Basava was a great humanitarian, who advocated a new way of life, in which divine experience was at the center of life and where caste, gender and social distinctions carried no special importance.

Basavanna, the 12th century philosopher and social reformer and the founding saint of the Lingayat faith, was born in Karnataka’s Ingaleshwar, Bagewadi town, which is 20 km away from Hungund taluk.
He grew up in Kudalasangama and married Gangambikel, the daughter of Bijjala's (one of the famous Chalukya kings) prime minister.
Some of the works credited to Basavanna include Vachana such as the Shat-sthala-vachana, Kala-jnana-vachana, Mantra-gopya, Ghatachakra-vachana and Raja-yoga-vachana.
Basava advocated that every human being was equal, irrespective of caste and that all forms of manual labour were equally important.
In 2015, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, inaugurated the statue of Basavanna along the bank of the river Thames at Lambeth in London.
Furthermore, Basavanna is the first Kannadiga in whose honour a commemorative coin has been minted in recognition of his social reforms.
He is also known as Bhaktibhandari (literally, the treasurer of devotion), or Basaveswara (Lord Basava).

Basava Jayanthi:

To honour the birth of Vishwaguru Basaveshwara or Lord Basavanna, Basava Jayanthi is celebrated every year.
The festival is observed by people of the Lingayat community mostly in Karnataka and parts of Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with much fanfare.
On this day, people exchange greetings, meet each other and remember Lord Basavanna, recite his teachings and vachanas.
The objective of the festival is to pass the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (universal brotherhood). His message found expression in the form of Vachanas that define a new way of looking at God and life.

Lingayat community:

The Lingayat/Veerashaiva community, a politically dominant group in Karnataka, are devotees of Shiva.
The Lingayats follow 12th-century saint-philosopher Basavannawho had rejected ritualistic worship and pre-eminence of the Vedas.
The Veerashaivas sect of the community also worships Shiva idols and practises other Hindu customs.
The Lingayats consider the Veershaivas to be part of Hinduism as they follow Hindu customs while the Veerashaivas think the community was an ancient religion established by Shiva and Basavanna was one of its saints.

Major contributions:

Anubhava Mantapa:

Basavanna staunchly believed in a caste-less society where each individual had equal opportunity to rise up in life.
To give force to the noble mission, he conceptualised Anubhava Mantapa – an academy of mystics, saints and philosophers of the Lingayata faith and acted as the fountainhead of thoughts on common human values and ethics.
Presided over another great mystic Allama Prabhu, the Anubhava Mantapa also had numerous Sharanas – people from the lower strata of society – as participants.
Basavanna himself joined as a participant in the Anubhava Mantapa with other greats like Akka Mahadevi and

Vira Saiva movement:

Basavanna was a reformer. He became the leader of the Vira Saiva movement. He established a cult that is accepted today by many people.
It developed a school of poor priests. It abolished the old priestly class. It adopted the vernacular as the medium for inculcating the supreme truth into the people. It gave to women an important place in religious and social life.
It prescribed one ideal of realisation for every individual, high or low.

Conclusion:

Basavanna gave rise to a system of ethics and education at once simple and exalted. But the spirit soon disappeared after the intermarriage that Basava facilitated came to an abrupt end when the couple were punished for the same by the King. The dream of the classless society was shaken and Basava soon realised the meek picture and left for Kudala Sangama and a year later died. Many believe that it was through self-annihilation, because of the agony caused by the failure.

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