Bhakti and Sufi Saints: Quick Answer
The Bhakti movement began with the Alvars (devotees of Vishnu) and Nayanars (devotees of Shiva) in Tamil Nadu between the 6th and 9th centuries and spread north by the 15th-16th centuries through saints such as Ramananda, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Chaitanya, Mirabai, Surdas and Tulsidas. The Sufi movement was the mystical side of Islam; in India the Chishti order was founded by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer, and Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi was its most famous saint.
Key takeaway: SSC asks three things about saints: region, philosophy or sect (Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita, Nirguna, Saguna) and famous work or disciple (Kabir's Bijak, Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, Jnaneshwar's Dnyaneshwari, Amir Khusrau as Nizamuddin Auliya's disciple). Learn the tables below by region.
Early Bhakti Saints of South India: Alvars and Nayanars
| Group | Devotion to | Number (by tradition) | Collection of hymns | Famous names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alvars | Vishnu | 12 | Nalayira Divya Prabandham | Andal (the only woman Alvar), Nammalvar |
| Nayanars | Shiva | 63 | Tevaram (part of the Tirumurai); lives in Periya Puranam | Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar; Karaikkal Ammaiyar (woman Nayanar) |
Bhakti Philosophers (Acharyas) and Their Philosophy
| Acharya | Period | Birthplace / region | Philosophy | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adi Shankaracharya | 8th century | Kalady, Kerala | Advaita (non-dualism) | Set up four mathas: Sringeri (Karnataka), Dwarka (Gujarat), Puri (Odisha), Jyotirmath (Uttarakhand) |
| Ramanujacharya | 11th-12th century | Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu | Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) | Vaishnava; inspired the later Bhakti saints of the north through Ramananda's tradition |
| Madhvacharya | 13th century | Udupi, Karnataka | Dvaita (dualism) | Founded the Krishna temple tradition at Udupi |
| Nimbarka | c. 12th-13th century | Telugu region; worked at Vrindavan | Dvaitadvaita (dualism-cum-non-dualism) | Radha-Krishna worship |
| Vallabhacharya | 1479-1531 | Born at Champaran (Chhattisgarh) to a Telugu family | Shuddhadvaita (pure non-dualism); Pushti Marg | Krishna (Shrinathji); Surdas was his disciple |
Trick for the four Vedanta schools: "S-A, R-VA, M-D" → Shankara Advaita, Ramanuja VishishtaAdvaita, Madhva Dvaita.
Bhakti Movement Saints List (North, East, West)
| Saint | Region | Period | Devotion / sect | Famous work or fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramananda | Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) | 14th-15th century | Rama; preached in Hindi | Disciples from all castes: Kabir, Ravidas, Dhanna, Sena, Pipa |
| Kabir | Varanasi | 15th century | Nirguna (formless God) | A weaver; dohas collected in the Bijak; verses also in the Guru Granth Sahib |
| Guru Nanak | Talwandi (Nankana Sahib), Punjab | 1469-1539 | Nirguna; founder of Sikhism | Settled at Kartarpur; hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib |
| Ravidas (Raidas) | Varanasi | 15th-16th century | Nirguna | A cobbler; verses in the Guru Granth Sahib |
| Chaitanya Mahaprabhu | Nabadwip, Bengal | 1486-1534 | Krishna; Gaudiya Vaishnavism | Popularised sankirtan (group chanting); spent his last years at Puri |
| Shankaradeva | Assam | 1449-1568 | Krishna; Ekasarana Dharma | Founded satras (monasteries) and namghars (prayer halls); Borgeet songs and Ankiya Naat plays |
| Mirabai | Rajasthan (Merta; married into the royal family of Mewar) | 16th century | Saguna, Krishna | Bhajans in Rajasthani and Braj; Ravidas is traditionally named as her guru |
| Surdas | Braj region (Agra-Mathura) | 16th century | Saguna, Krishna | Sursagar; disciple of Vallabhacharya |
| Tulsidas | Uttar Pradesh | 1532-1623 | Saguna, Rama | Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi; contemporary of Akbar |
| Dadu Dayal | Gujarat and Rajasthan | 16th century | Nirguna | Founder of the Dadupanth |
Nirguna vs Saguna: Nirguna saints (Kabir, Nanak, Ravidas, Dadu) worshipped God without form; Saguna saints (Mirabai, Surdas, Tulsidas, Chaitanya) worshipped God with form, as Krishna or Rama.
Bhakti Saints of Maharashtra and Karnataka
| Saint | Region | Period | Famous work or fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jnaneshwar (Dnyaneshwar) | Maharashtra | 13th century | Dnyaneshwari (Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita); Varkari tradition of Vithoba (Vitthal), Pandharpur |
| Namdev | Maharashtra | 13th-14th century | A tailor; some verses in the Guru Granth Sahib |
| Eknath | Maharashtra | 16th century | Marathi Bhagavata; opposed caste rules |
| Tukaram | Maharashtra | 17th century | Abhangas (devotional songs); contemporary of Shivaji |
| Samarth Ramdas | Maharashtra | 17th century | Dasbodh; regarded as Shivaji's spiritual guide |
| Basavanna | Karnataka | 12th century | Founder of the Lingayat (Virashaiva) movement; vachanas; Anubhava Mantapa; minister of the Kalachuri king Bijjala II |
| Purandara Dasa | Karnataka | 15th-16th century | Haridasa movement; called the father of Carnatic music |
Sufi Silsilas (Orders) and Saints in India
| Silsila | Founder in India / key saints | Centre | Attitude to the state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chishti | Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (died 1236); Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki; Baba Farid (Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar); Nizamuddin Auliya; Nasiruddin Chiragh-i-Dehli; Shaikh Salim Chishti | Ajmer, Delhi, Pakpattan, Fatehpur Sikri | Kept away from rulers and the court; music (sama) central |
| Suhrawardi | Shaikh Bahauddin Zakariya | Multan | Accepted state grants and posts |
| Naqshbandi | Khwaja Baqi Billah; Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi | Delhi, Sirhind | Orthodox; opposed Akbar's liberal policies |
| Qadiri | Founded by Abdul Qadir Jilani in Baghdad; in India Makhdum Muhammad Gilani of Uch; Mian Mir of Lahore | Uch, Lahore | Prince Dara Shikoh was a follower |
| Firdausi | Shaikh Sharafuddin Yahya Maneri | Bihar | A branch of the Suhrawardi order |
Facts linked to Chishti saints:
- Moinuddin Chishti's dargah at Ajmer is visited during the Urs; Akbar walked there on pilgrimage.
- Amir Khusrau, the poet and musician called "Tuti-i-Hind" (parrot of India), was a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya.
- Baba Farid's verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
- Akbar named his son Salim (Jahangir) after Shaikh Salim Chishti, whose tomb is in the Jama Masjid complex at Fatehpur Sikri.
Sufi Terms Asked in Exams
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Silsila | Chain or order of Sufi teachers |
| Pir / Murshid / Shaikh | Spiritual teacher |
| Murid | Disciple |
| Khanqah | Sufi hospice where the teacher lived and taught |
| Sama | Devotional music and song |
| Dargah | Tomb-shrine of a Sufi saint |
| Urs | Death anniversary of a saint, seen as union with God |
| Wali | "Friend of God", a saint |
Bhakti and Sufi Saints: PYQ-Style Practice Questions with Answers
1. Who propounded the philosophy of Vishishtadvaita? (a) Shankaracharya (b) Ramanujacharya (c) Madhvacharya (d) Vallabhacharya Answer: (b) Ramanujacharya.
2. Which saint was a weaver by profession? (a) Ravidas (b) Kabir (c) Namdev (d) Sena Answer: (b) Kabir. Ravidas was a cobbler and Namdev a tailor.
3. Ramcharitmanas was written by: (a) Surdas (b) Tulsidas (c) Valmiki (d) Kabir Answer: (b) Tulsidas, in Awadhi.
4. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu belonged to which region? (a) Assam (b) Bengal (c) Odisha (d) Maharashtra Answer: (b) Bengal, born at Nabadwip.
5. Satras and namghars are associated with: (a) Chaitanya (b) Shankaradeva (c) Ramananda (d) Basavanna Answer: (b) Shankaradeva of Assam.
6. The Lingayat movement was started by: (a) Basavanna (b) Purandara Dasa (c) Madhvacharya (d) Tukaram Answer: (a) Basavanna, in 12th-century Karnataka.
7. Who founded the Chishti order in India? (a) Nizamuddin Auliya (b) Moinuddin Chishti (c) Baba Farid (d) Bahauddin Zakariya Answer: (b) Moinuddin Chishti, at Ajmer.
8. Amir Khusrau was a disciple of: (a) Salim Chishti (b) Nizamuddin Auliya (c) Baba Farid (d) Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi Answer: (b) Nizamuddin Auliya.
9. Dnyaneshwari is a Marathi commentary on the: (a) Ramayana (b) Mahabharata (c) Bhagavad Gita (d) Rig Veda Answer: (c) Bhagavad Gita, by Jnaneshwar.
10. Which Sufi order is associated with Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi? (a) Chishti (b) Suhrawardi (c) Naqshbandi (d) Qadiri Answer: (c) Naqshbandi.
11. The only woman among the 12 Alvars was: (a) Karaikkal Ammaiyar (b) Andal (c) Akka Mahadevi (d) Mirabai Answer: (b) Andal. Karaikkal Ammaiyar was a woman Nayanar, and Akka Mahadevi a Virashaiva poet.
12. Surdas was a disciple of: (a) Ramananda (b) Vallabhacharya (c) Chaitanya (d) Nimbarka Answer: (b) Vallabhacharya.
Bhakti and Sufi Saints FAQs
Who started the Bhakti movement in India?
It began with the Alvars and Nayanars of Tamil Nadu (6th-9th centuries). In north India, Ramananda is regarded as the bridge who carried it to the masses in Hindi.
Who is known as the father of Carnatic music?
Purandara Dasa, a 15th-16th century Haridasa saint of Karnataka.
Which Bhakti saint was a contemporary of Shivaji?
Tukaram (and Samarth Ramdas, regarded as Shivaji's spiritual guide).
What is the difference between Nirguna and Saguna Bhakti?
Nirguna Bhakti worships a formless God (Kabir, Guru Nanak); Saguna Bhakti worships God with form and qualities, such as Rama or Krishna (Tulsidas, Mirabai, Surdas).
Where is the dargah of Nizamuddin Auliya?
In Delhi (Nizamuddin area). Amir Khusrau's tomb is in the same complex.
Which Mughal prince was a follower of the Qadiri order?
Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan, a disciple of Mian Mir's tradition and author of Majma-ul-Bahrain.
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