Twilight of the Sultanate c18.s1.41

c18.s1.41

In his attacks on the ignorant and superstitious, Kabīr was uncompromising. Day in and day out this weaver, sitting in front of his lowly cottage weaving his cloth (so the pictures depict him), would castigate the Hindus and the Muslims, sparing none. The unusual in Kabīr attracted the people towards him. The story of his birth was unusual, his education was unusual—he was an unlettered philosopher—his way of life was unusual—he was both an ascetic and a householder, a saint who earned his living by work—his approach to the problems of society was unusual, he criticised all. People listened to him because he spoke the truth, bare and stark. But some of them were naturally annoyed at his scathing criticism of everything they believed or did. The Muslims could hardly tolerate being told that their religion was not superior to others, and their fasts and pilgrimages had no intrinsic worth. The Hindus could not always bear to hear that their temples and gods, the *Vedas* and *Shāstras*, their caste and *Varna* were all false. In the view of the orthodox, whether Hindu or Muslim, Kabīr was plainly a heretic. Some of the Mullās and Pandits lodged a protest with Sikandar Lodī against the activities of Kabīr. This was about the year 1495 when Sikandar Lodī was completing his subjugation of the eastern region. The Sultan summoned Kabīr to his presence, but was averse to punishing this well-meaning old man of more than sixty years of age. Moreover, there appeared nothing blasphemous in the simple teachings of a poor weaver. Sikandar, therefore, only sent him into temporary exile, from Varanasi to Maghār.