Medieval Indian History
🔒 Log in to trackBhakti & Sufi Movements
🔒 Log in to trackThe Bhakti and Sufi movements gave the medieval period a religion of love and devotion. Saints sang in the people's own languages and quietly weakened caste barriers. Exams ask which saint belongs to which region, work, language or Sufi order.
Two roads to the same God
Bhakti (Hindu devotion) and Sufism (Islamic mysticism) both answered heavy ritual with love and devotion. Both used the people's languages. Both quietly attacked caste.
Bhakti in the south first
The Alvars (devotees of Vishnu) and the Nayanars (devotees of Shiva) sang between the 6th and 9th centuries.
- The Tevaram hymns belong to the Nayanars (Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar).
- Andal is the woman Alvar.
Four schools of philosophy are often asked:
| Teacher | School |
|---|---|
| Shankaracharya | Advaita (non-dualism) |
| Ramanuja | Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) |
| Madhvacharya | Dvaita (dualism) |
| Vallabhacharya | Shuddhadvaita |
Basavanna (Karnataka, 12th century) began the Virashaiva / Lingayat movement and its vachanas.
Tip: "RaVi MaD": Ramanuja is Vishishtadvaita. Madhva is Dvaita.
North and west India
| Saint | Region | Remember for |
|---|---|---|
| Ramananda | North India (Varanasi) | Opened bhakti to all castes. Guru of Kabir and Ravidas. |
| Kabir | Varanasi | Weaver. Sayings in the Bijak. Attacked idol worship and ritual on both sides. |
| Guru Nanak | Punjab | Founded what became Sikhism. |
| Chaitanya | Bengal and Odisha (Puri) | Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Sankirtan. |
| Tulsidas | Uttar Pradesh | Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi |
| Surdas | Braj | Sursagar on Krishna, in Braj Bhasha |
| Mirabai | Rajasthan (Mewar) | Krishna bhajans |
| Jnaneshwar | Maharashtra | Jnaneshwari, a Marathi commentary on the Gita |
| Namdev, Tukaram | Maharashtra | Warkari tradition. Tukaram's abhangas. Worship of Vithoba at Pandharpur. |
| Sankardeva | Assam | Ekasarana dharma. Set up sattras and namghars. |
Watch: Ramcharitmanas is in Awadhi, not Sanskrit or Braj.
Sufism: Islamic mysticism
Sufi orders are called silsilas, meaning "chains" of teacher to student. The bond is pir-murid. Practice includes zikr (recitation) and sama (musical gatherings). Sama is the root of qawwali.
| Order | Key saint | Centre and note |
|---|---|---|
| Chishti | Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (came c. 1192) | Ajmer |
| Chishti | Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki | Delhi. The Qutub Minar is named after him. |
| Chishti | Baba Farid | Pakpattan. His verses are in the Adi Granth. |
| Chishti | Nizamuddin Auliya | Delhi. Disciple: Amir Khusrau. |
| Suhrawardi | Bahauddin Zakariya | Multan. Accepted state service. |
| Naqshbandi | Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi | Revivalist. Opposed Akbar's liberal policies. |
| Qadiri | none to remember | Oldest order. Later linked to Dara Shikoh's leanings. |
The Chishtis stayed away from the court and served all communities. Saints' tombs became dargahs, centres of pilgrimage (ziyarat).
Amir Khusrau was called Tuti-i-Hind ("Parrot of India"). He is credited with shaping qawwali. He wrote in Persian and Hindavi.
What they changed
- Local languages grew: the Bijak, the Manas, the abhangas.
- Caste lines weakened inside devotional groups.
- Shrines such as Ajmer, Pandharpur and the dargahs of Delhi became shared spaces.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
Alvars, Nayanars and the Acharyas
Words like Alvar, Nayanar, Tevaram, Andal, Advaita, Vishishtadvaita or Dvaita.
Alvars are for Vishnu. Nayanars are for Shiva.
Tevaram belongs to the Nayanars. Andal is the woman Alvar.
Schools: Shankara-Advaita, Ramanuja-Vishishtadvaita, Madhva-Dvaita, Vallabha-Shuddhadvaita.
Two pairs, Alvar-Vishnu and Nayanar-Shiva, plus four schools, cover this whole area.
The Alvars of south India were devotees of: (a) Shiva (b) Vishnu (c) Durga (d) Surya
Show solutionHide solution
Nayanars were the Shiva devotees.
Alvars were their Vishnu counterparts.
(b) Vishnu
North Indian saints: sect, language and work
A saint matched to a language, a book or a place: Tulsidas, Sur, Tukaram, Chaitanya, Kabir.
Language anchors: Tulsidas-Awadhi, Sur-Braj, Tukaram and Namdev-Marathi, Chaitanya-Bengal.
Works: Kabir-Bijak, Tulsidas-Ramcharitmanas, Sur-Sursagar.
Sect: Varkari means Vithoba of Pandharpur.
Every saint carries one work or language, which the options test.
Tukaram's abhangas are composed in which language?
Show solutionHide solution
Tukaram belongs to the Varkari sect of Pandharpur.
Varkari saints sang in Marathi.
Marathi
Sufi silsilas, founders and saints
Words like Chishti, Suhrawardi, Naqshbandi, Qadiri, Ajmer, Multan or Nizamuddin Auliya.
Chishti chain: Moinuddin (Ajmer), Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Baba Farid, Nizamuddin Auliya.
Suhrawardi: Bahauddin Zakariya (Multan). Naqshbandi: Ahmad Sirhindi. Qadiri: oldest.
Terms: silsila = chain, sama = music, dargah = tomb-shrine.
Order, saint and city come together in one line each.
The Suhrawardi silsila in India is linked with which saint?
Show solutionHide solution
Chishti saints avoided state service.
The Suhrawardi saint of Multan was Bahauddin Zakariya.
Bahauddin Zakariya
Shared features of Bhakti and Sufi movements
"Which is common to both movements?" or a statement question about them.
List the common ground: devotion above ritual, local languages, guru at the centre.
Add: criticism of caste and equality in devotion.
Do not accept extreme claims such as 'both opposed all temples'.
Statement questions test whether you judge each claim, not a slogan.
Which feature was common to both the Bhakti and Sufi movements?
Show solutionHide solution
Both used the people's languages.
Both offered a devotional path open to all castes and communities.
Use of local languages and a devotional path open to all
Regional saints: place and work
"Which saint founded Ekasarana / Lingayat / Gaudiya...?" or a saint-region match.
Sankardeva: Assam, Ekasarana dharma, sattras.
Basavanna: Karnataka, Lingayat, vachanas.
Chaitanya: Bengal-Odisha, Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Jnaneshwar: Maharashtra, Jnaneshwari.
Each saint has a home region, which removes most wrong options.
Ekasarana dharma, with its sattras and namghars, was spread in Assam by:
Show solutionHide solution
Sattras are Vaishnava monastery-centres.
The Assam saint is Sankardeva.
Sankardeva
Shortcuts that save time
Ramanuja gives Vishishtadvaita. Madhva gives Dvaita. Shankara gives Advaita.
Dvaita philosophy was taught by:
Show solutionHide solution
MaD: Madhva gives Dvaita.
Ramanuja is Vishishtadvaita.
Madhvacharya
Tulsidas = Awadhi (A for Ayodhya's Ram). Surdas = Braj (Bal-Krishna).
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Calling the Ramcharitmanas a Sanskrit or Braj work.
It is in Awadhi.
Placing Moinuddin Chishti in Delhi.
Moinuddin Chishti = Ajmer. Nizamuddin Auliya = Delhi.
Saying Sankardeva is from Bengal.
Sankardeva is from Assam. Chaitanya is from Bengal.
Thinking all Sufi orders avoided the court.
The Suhrawardis accepted state service. The Chishtis stayed away.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
Alvars worship Vishnu. Nayanars worship Shiva. Tevaram is Nayanar hymns. Andal is the woman Alvar.
Advaita: Shankara. Vishishtadvaita: Ramanuja. Dvaita: Madhva.
Kabir: Bijak. Tulsidas: Awadhi. Surdas: Braj. Tukaram: Marathi abhangas (Warkari, Vithoba of Pandharpur).
Chishti: Moinuddin, then Nizamuddin. Suhrawardi: Bahauddin Zakariya. Naqshbandi: Sirhindi. Qadiri.
Sama is music. Pir-murid is teacher and student. A dargah is a tomb-shrine.
Practice: 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 5 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.