Chapter 9: Traders Kings and Pilgrims

Kings wanted to control the Silk Route due to the following reasons:

1. They could collect taxes, an additional source of revenue for them
2. Gifts and tributes were given by traders to the kings

Historians find evidence through multiple sources.

1. Through the literature of the concerned period
2. Ancient coins
3. Pottery, bowls and plates

The main features of Bhakti were as follows:

1. Bhakti became a central feature of Hinduism.
2. Deities were worshipped through bhakti
3. Bhakti is generally understood as a person’s devotion to their chosen deity
4. Anybody, whether rich or poor, belonging to the so-called ‘high’ or ‘low’ castes, man or woman, could follow the path of bhakti.
5. This path emphasised devotion and individual worship of a god or goddess rather than the performance of elaborate sacrifices.
6. As per this system, if a devotee worships the chosen deity with a pure heart, the deity will appear in the form in which they may desire. So, the deity could be thought of as a human being, lion, tree or any other form. Once this idea gained acceptance, artists made beautiful images of these deities.