Religious Movements in Medieval India

Religious Movements

Bhakti Movement | Sufi Movement | Medieval India

Religious Movements in Medieval India

In this section, we are sharing a descriptive note on Religious Movements in Medieval India. Mainly for upcoming competitive exams Bhakti and Sufi Movement is important for this chapter. It will be highly beneficial for your exams. So go through carefully and you can also read all chapters of History from the bottom of this page.

Religious Movements in Medieval India

 Bhakti Movement 

• The Bhakti Movement began in South India in the 7th Century. 
• The Alvars (Vaishnavites) and Naynars (Shaivites) popularised the Bhakti cult in South India. 
• There were 12 Alvar Vaishnavite and 63 Naynar Saivite Saints. 
•  Sambandar and Manikkavasagar were other great Bhakti Saints. 
• The writings of these saints were collected in the Tirumurai.
• The Tirumurai has been called as the Tamil Veda. 
• Ramananda was the first great Bhakti saint of North India.
• Raidas, Kabir, Dhanna, Pipa were his disciples.
• Kabir (1440-1518) belonged to a family of weavers. Kabir spent the greater part of his life in Banaras. Kabir's verses were included in Adi Granth.
• Raidas was a tanner.
• Guru Nanak (1469-1539) was born at Nankana Sahib.
• Kabir and Nanak were Nirguna Bhakti saints.
• Vallabhacharya was a Telugu Brahmana. Vallabhacharya was the founder of Pushti marga (way of grace) Chaitanya (1486-1533) was the most prominent Vaishnav saint of Bengal. 
• Chaitanya was looked upon as living Krishna.
• Jnaneswar (1275-1296) was the pioneer Bhakti Maharashtra. 
• Jnaneswar wrote Jnaneswari. 
• Namdeva was a tailor by caste. He travelled to North India and Punjab.
• Dadu (1544-1603) was inspired by Kabir's doctrine.
• Ramadasa was the guru of Shivaji.
• The biography of Chaitanya is Chaitanya Charitamrita, was written by Krishnadas Kaviraj.

 Sufi Movement 

• Sufism is the mystical movement in Islam.
• Al Hujuiri was the earliest Sufi saint to have settled in India. Al Hujuiri wrote 'Kashful Mahjub'. 
• The Chishti and Suhrawardi orders were the most prominent. 
• The Chishti order was founded by Muinuddin Chishti. He arrived around 1192 A.D. and established his center at Ajmer. Muinuddin Chisti's disciple was Hamiduddin Nagauri.
• Qutubminar is named after the Chishti saint Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. His disciple was Farid Ganj-i-Shakar. He built his Jamaat Khana in Ajodhan (Punjab).
• The Sufis adopted the local language of the region in which they lived.
• The Suhrawardi order in India was founded by Bahauddin Zakaria of Multan.
• The Suharwardi sufis established themselves mainly in North-West India.
• The Chishti mystics believed in the spiritual value of Music.  Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki died in a state of ecstasy under the spell of Music.
• Khwaja Fariduddin Masud was known as Baba Farid. He was succeeded by Nasiruddin Chiraag-i-Delhi, who had trouble with Mohammad Bin Tughlaq. After the death of Baba Farid, the Chishti order was divided into Nezamia and Sabiria orders.
• Shaikh Burhanuddin settled at Daulatabad. Shaikh Husamuddin and Shah Barkatullah were prominent Sufis in Gujarat.
• Shaikh Abdul Quddus Gangohi was a mystic of the Sabiria order.

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This page contains:

Religious Movements in Medieval India, Medieval History Descriptive Notes, Mughal Empire, Religious Movements, Bhakti Movements, Concise notes on Religious Movement, Sufi Movements.

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