Lesson video

Hello, my name is Ms. Ramalli, and welcome to today's RE lesson, which forms part of our unit on Social justice: how might Sikhs fight for equality? And in today's lesson, we are going to be exploring what society was like at the time of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhi.

Okay, let's start today's lesson.

Today's lesson outcome is I can explain what Indian society was like at the time of Guru Nanak, and the impact of this on his views on equality.

To help guide us through today's lesson, we have four key words: caste, discrimination, equality, and Guru Granth Sahib.

Caste or caste system refers to a social hierarchy dividing people in society.

Discrimination is the unfair treatment of the people and groups based on a part of their identity, such as sex, race, or religion.

Equality refers to all people having the same rights and responsibilities.

And the Guru Granth Sahib is a living guru, a main source of authority for Sikhs; a collection of writings from the 10 Gurus and other important writers.

Today's lesson on the society at the time of Guru Nanak takes two parts.

So we'll begin today's lesson by exploring the Indian Society at the time of Guru Nanak, then moving on to consider the impact of Guru Nanak's views on equality.

So we're going to start today's lesson by discussing some questions.

I'd like you either with a partner or in small groups to discuss the following questions: what types of discrimination do you know of? And if you feel comfortable, you could discuss, have you experienced any form of discrimination, or have you ever witnessed any forms of discrimination? And thirdly, what should we do if we feel that something is unfair? Pause the video here and have your discussions, and then when you're ready to reflect on your answers, press play.

Okay, welcome back.

So what types of discrimination do you know of? Perhaps you identify discrimination to do with a person's age, their disability, perhaps their race or religion or beliefs.

And then you may have moved on to discuss any form of discrimination that you might have experienced or witnessed.

So what should we do if we feel that something is unfair? Perhaps you discussed the idea of talking to someone that you trust or reporting it perhaps to a teacher or a parent.

Fantastic.

Well done on your discussions.

Guru Nanak lived from 1469 to 1539.

He lived in an area of India called the Punjab, which is now partly in Pakistan.

The religion of most people in India at the time was Hindu Dharma.

He was raised as a Hindu, but from a young age, he rejected some of its beliefs and practises.

The Mughal Empire ruled over India during the time of Guru Nanak, and here on your screen you can see a map of the Mughal Empire.

In the 16th century, they had invaded and taken control of the area using their army.

Some of the Mughals weren't very popular with people living in the area due to their violence and lack of compassion.

True or false, Guru Nanak was raised as a Hindu? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Well done if you said that statement is true.

Guru Nanak was raised as a Hindu.

At that time, there were many different religions and cultures living together in Indian society.

Many people lived together peacefully, but sometimes there were inequalities.

This included discrimination because of gender and caste.

Some women at the time of Guru Nanak were discriminated against.

There was no equality between some men and women.

This included little or no opportunities for education, a lack of freedom to make their own decisions, physical abuse.

And some women were also not allowed to fully participate in some religious rituals, as men did.

The caste system.

At the time of Guru Nanak, society was divided into hierarchical groups known as castes.

The caste system applied to people of all religions.

Initially, there were four main caste categories with an extra caste, Dalits, added later.

So at the bottom of the caste system were the Dalits, also referred to as the untouchables.

Then there was the Shudras, the Vaishyas, the Kshatriyas and the Brahmins.

People were often treated differently depending on which caste they belonged to.

This included discriminating against the lower castes.

Some people would not go near Dalits, and many people only married someone of the same caste.

Let's pause and complete a check for understanding.

What is the name of the hierarchical group that divided society into groups at the time of Guru Nanak? A, the caste system, B, religion, or C, the Mughal Empire? Pause the video and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Well done if you said the correct answer is A, the caste system is the name of the hierarchical group that divided society into groups at the time of Guru Nanak.

So now we're gonna pause to complete our first practise task.

Explain these three key features of Indian society at the time of Guru Nanak, including the impact they had on people.

So the three features you're going to explain are the Mughal Empire, discrimination against women, and the caste system.

Good luck completing the practise task.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answers.

Okay, welcome back.

So in your answers, you may have explained those three features and said the following points.

So the Mughal Empire had invaded the area and some people were not happy, as some Mughals were violent and lacked compassion.

Discrimination against women.

Women were being discriminated against, as they couldn't have the same education as men.

They were being physically harmed and couldn't make their own decisions.

And the caste system.

The caste system meant that people were treated differently in society, and lower castes were discriminated against.

Well done on completing the first practise task.

So now we're gonna move onto the second part of today's lesson on society at the time of Guru Nanak to explore the impact of Guru Nanak's views on equality.

Andeep, Sophia, Lucas and Aisha are discussing what might have shaped Guru Nanak's worldview.

Andeep says, "I think being raised in a Hindu family will have had an influence on his worldview." Sophia thinks, "I think the treatment by the Mughal rulers at the time will have influenced his ideas." Lucas says, "I think discrimination due to the caste system might have influenced him." And Aisha says, "I think seeing how women were being treated might have affected his worldview." Okay, let's pause and complete a check for understanding.

Which one of these is the least likely to have influenced Guru Nanak's views on equality? A, his Hindu upbringing, B, the caste system, C, seeing how women were treated, or D, the language he spoke? So for this check for understanding, remember you're looking to identify the least likely factor to have influenced his views on equality.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Well done if you said the correct answer is D, the language Guru Nanak spoke is the least likely factor to have influenced his views on equality.

Guru Nanak spoke about women and their role in society.

In the Guru Granth Sahib, he says, "From women, man is born; within women, man is conceived; to women he is engaged and married.

Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come.

So why call her bad? From her, kings are born.

From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all." And these are the words of Guru Nanak taken from the Guru Granth Sahib.

So let's pause and consider an answer to this question.

What might Guru Nanak be saying about women in this quotation? So with your partner or in a small group, discuss that question.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to reflect on your answers.

Okay, welcome back.

So what might Guru Nanak be saying about women in this quotation? Well, it is showing the importance of women because men rely on women and without them, men would not exist.

Women should not be called bad, and this promotes the equality of women.

Ria is a Sikh.

She explains why Guru Nanak's teachings about women are important to her.

Ria says, "Guru Nanak stood up for the rights of women, which means that I have the same opportunities as men within my Sikh community today.

We have equality.

For example, I can read the Guru Granth Sahib at the Gurdwara, and I can make my own decisions in life." True or false, the Guru Granth Sahib emphasises the importance of women in society? You've got five seconds to pick the correct answer.

Well done if you said that statement is true.

The Guru Granth Sahib does emphasise the importance of women in society.

Guru Nanak spoke against the caste system because people were discriminated against, especially the lower castes.

In the Guru Granth Sahib he says, "Discern the light; do not inquire one's caste.

There is no caste in the hereafter." These are the words of Guru Nanak in the Guru Granth Sahib.

So, what might Guru Nanak mean when he says "discern the light" and what is the hereafter? Pause the video here, and with your partner, discuss those questions.

Press play when you're ready to check your answers.

Okay, welcome back.

So what do you think? What did Guru Nanak mean when he says "discern the light?" And what is the hereafter? So "discern the light" might mean to look for what is inside someone for who they are, and not to ask about their caste, and the hereafter is referring to life after death.

So what might this tell us about Guru Nanak's view about caste? Pause the video and discuss with your partner again, and press play when you are ready to reflect on your answers.

So perhaps in your discussions, you said something similar to this: Guru Nanak was against the caste system because he thought we should treat people for who they really are.

Caste has no meaning in the afterlife, so it also doesn't matter in this life.

Ria explains the impact of Guru Nanak's views on the caste system on her life.

"The rejection of the caste system by Guru Nanak means that I am treated equally in my Sikh community.

My family do not insist that I marry someone that is the same caste as me.

I can marry anybody, regardless of their caste." Guru Nanak spoke out against the violence and mistreatment from some of the Mughal rulers.

He showed kindness and compassion, even when he was put into prison.

The Mughal ruler Babur heard that a special man, Guru Nanak, was in prison and went to visit him.

He was so affected by this encounter that he freed Guru Nanak and other prisoners.

Mandeep explains how Guru Nanak's response to the Mughal rulers influences him.

Mandeep says, "Today we can read Guru Nanak's words about the Mughal rulers in part of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Reading this reminds me to also be compassionate and to stand up for justice." Okay, let's pause and complete a check for understanding.

Where can Sikhs find Guru Nanak's views on equality? A, in his diaries, B, in Mughal rulers' records, or C, in the Guru Granth Sahib? You've got five seconds to choose the answer.

Well done if you said the correct answer is C.

Guru Nanak's views on equality can be found in the Guru Granth Sahib.

So now we're going to pause and complete our second practise task.

You need to explain how Guru Nanak promoted equality in Indian society.

Use a quotation or example to support your points.

Your answer should include these keywords: women, caste, Mughal rulers, and discrimination.

Good luck completing the practise task.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done everyone.

Let's check your answers for the practise task.

So your answer might have included the following points: Guru Nanak stood up for equality for women.

He said that "None may exist without a woman," from the Guru Granth Sahib, which shows how important they are.

Guru Nanak also spoke up against discrimination due to the caste system.

He said that people should "discern the light," which means to treat them as a person, not as a caste.

And thirdly, Guru Nanak stood up for justice against the Mughal rulers.

He met Babur and was compassionate, even though he was put into prison.

Fantastic, well done on all of your hard work completing the practise tasks.

So that leads us to the end of today's lesson on the society at the time of Guru Nanak.

Here is a summary of our key learning points.

Guru Nanak was influenced by the society he lived in.

The violent behaviour of some Mughal rulers influenced him to speak out against violence and to encourage compassion.

The discrimination of women encourage Guru Nanak to emphasise their importance and equality.

The caste system influenced him to treat people fairly.

Sikhs today learn about Guru Nanak's teachings.

And lastly, the Guru Granth Sahib teaches Sikhs today to promote equality.

Well done on completing today's lesson, and thank you for joining me.

Goodbye.