About the Bhakti and Sufi Movements
The Bhakti and Sufi movements were two great devotional movements that arose in medieval India. The Bhakti movement grew within Hinduism and the Sufi movement within Islam. Both taught that God can be reached through love, devotion and surrender rather than through complicated rituals, and both opposed ritualism, priestly dominance and social inequality. Together they produced a rich composite culture and a vast literature in Indian languages.
The Bhakti Movement
The Bhakti movement began in South India between the 6th and 9th centuries AD with the Alvars (Vaishnava devotees of Vishnu) and the Nayanars (Shaiva devotees of Shiva). The Alvars and Nayanars preached in Tamil, the language of the common people, and travelled from place to place singing the praises of God. The Alvar hymns were later collected as the Divya Prabandham; Andal was the only woman among the twelve Alvars.
In the medieval period the movement spread to the whole of India. Two streams developed: Saguna bhakti (devotion to a God with form, such as Rama or Krishna) and Nirguna bhakti (devotion to a formless God). Among the great philosophers were Shankaracharya (Advaita or non-dualism), Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita or qualified non-dualism), Madhvacharya (Dvaita or dualism), Nimbarka (Dvaitadvaita) and Vallabhacharya (Shuddhadvaita).
Great Bhakti Saints
- Kabir: a Nirguna saint and weaver who was a disciple of Ramananda. He attacked both priestly Hinduism and ritualistic Islam and preached the unity of God. His verses are found in the Bijak and the Granthavali.
- Guru Nanak: founder of Sikhism (1469–1539). He preached one God, honest living and the equality of all human beings. His hymns and those of later Gurus are collected in the Adi Granth.
- Tulsidas: the greatest Saguna poet, who wrote the Ramcharitmanas, the story of Rama in Awadhi.
- Surdas: a blind Krishna devotee whose verses are collected in the Sursagar.
- Mirabai: a Rajput princess who became a devotee of Krishna and composed passionate songs of devotion.
- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: the great Krishna devotee of Bengal; Jayadeva wrote the Gita Govinda.
- Shankaradeva: the great Vaishnava saint of Assam, founder of the Ekasarana Dharma; he wrote the Kirtana Ghosha and started the Sattras and Namghars.
- Ravidas, Dadu Dayal, Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram: other leading saints, several of them from lower castes.
The Sufi Movement
Sufism is the mystical branch of Islam. Sufis emphasised love, tolerance, humility and an inner experience of God and rejected outward show. In India the Chishti order became the most popular. Its great saints included Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Baba Farid, Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi and Nasiruddin Chiragh. The Suhrawardi order was led by Bahauddin Zakariya of Multan. Other important orders were the Naqshbandi and the Qadiri.
The Sufis lived in khanqahs (hospices), where the pir (master) guided his murid (disciples). The chain of spiritual succession was called the silsila, mystical music was known as sama, and the death anniversary of a saint is observed as the Urs. The tomb or dargah of a Sufi saint became a place of pilgrimage for people of all faiths.
Impact of the Two Movements
- Hindu-Muslim unity: both movements preached the oneness of God and helped create a composite culture.
- Vernacular literature: saints wrote in the common languages, enriching Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi, Assamese and Tamil.
- Social reform: both attacked caste distinctions, untouchability and the dominance of priests.
- Women: women such as Andal, Mirabai and Akkamahadevi took part in the movement.
- Art and music: devotional songs, bhajans, kirtans and qawwali developed as great art forms.
- Religious reform: the movement led to the growth of sects such as Sikhism and the Assam Vaishnavism of Shankaradeva.
Timeline of the Bhakti and Sufi Movements
- 6th–9th century AD: Alvars and Nayanars preach Bhakti in South India.
- c. 788–820 AD: Shankaracharya expounds Advaita.
- 1017–1137 AD: Ramanuja teaches Vishishtadvaita.
- 1469–1539 AD: Life of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism.
- 1486–1533 AD: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Bengal.
- 15th–16th century: Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas and Mirabai in North India.
- 12th–13th century: Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and the spread of the Chishti order in India.
- 13th–14th century: Nizamuddin Auliya and Baba Farid.
Main Facts about the Bhakti and Sufi Movements (Quick Revision Bullets)
- Alvars: Vaishnava saints of South India; number – twelve.
- Nayanars: Shaiva saints of South India; number – sixty-three.
- Woman Alvar: Andal.
- Alvar hymns collected as: Divya Prabandham.
- Shankaracharya’s philosophy: Advaita (non-dualism).
- Ramanuja’s philosophy: Vishishtadvaita.
- Founder of Sikhism: Guru Nanak.
- Adi Granth: holy book of the Sikhs.
- Ramcharitmanas written by: Tulsidas.
- Sursagar written by: Surdas.
- Gita Govinda written by: Jayadeva.
- Assam Vaishnava saint: Shankaradeva (Ekasarana Dharma).
- Most popular Sufi order in India: Chishti.
- Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s dargah: Ajmer.
- Nizamuddin Auliya: famous Chishti saint of Delhi.
- Sufi hospice: khanqah; master – pir; disciple – murid.
- Sufi music: sama and qawwali.
Important Persons and Terms
- Alvars and Nayanars: early South Indian Bhakti saints.
- Shankaracharya: philosopher of Advaita.
- Ramanuja: philosopher of Vishishtadvaita and devotee of Vishnu.
- Kabir: Nirguna saint who preached Hindu-Muslim unity.
- Guru Nanak: founder of Sikhism.
- Tulsidas: author of the Ramcharitmanas.
- Surdas and Mirabai: Krishna devotees.
- Shankaradeva: Vaishnava saint of Assam.
- Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti: founder of the Chishti order in India (Ajmer).
- Nizamuddin Auliya: great Chishti saint of Delhi.
- Amir Khusrau: poet and disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya, associated with qawwali.
Why This Topic Matters for Exams
Questions on the Bhakti and Sufi movements are common. Typical questions: Who were the Alvars and Nayanars? (Vaishnava and Shaiva saints of South India.) Who founded Sikhism? (Guru Nanak.) Who wrote the Ramcharitmanas? (Tulsidas.) Which Sufi order was most popular in India? (Chishti.) Where is Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s dargah? (Ajmer.) A common trap is to mix up Saguna (with form) and Nirguna (formless) saints, or to credit Guru Nanak with compiling the Adi Granth, which was compiled by Guru Arjan Dev.
How to Prepare This Topic
- Learn the two streams. Saguna (Rama, Krishna) and Nirguna (formless).
- Learn the South Indian background. Alvars, Nayanars, Divya Prabandham and Andal.
- Learn one book for each saint. Ramcharitmanas, Sursagar, Gita Govinda, Bijak and Adi Granth.
- Learn the Sufi orders and terms. Chishti, Suhrawardi, khanqah, pir, murid, sama and Urs.
- Learn the impact. Unity, vernacular literature, social reform and women’s participation.
Common Exam Traps
- Alvars are Vaishnava; Nayanars are Shaiva.
- Kabir and Guru Nanak followed Nirguna bhakti; Tulsidas and Surdas followed Saguna bhakti.
- Shankaracharya taught Advaita; Ramanuja taught Vishishtadvaita.
- The Chishti order was the most popular Sufi order in India, and its centre was Ajmer.
- Shankaradeva belonged to Assam, not Bengal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the Alvars and the Nayanars?
The Alvars were Vaishnava saints (devotees of Vishnu) and the Nayanars were Shaiva saints (devotees of Shiva) of South India. There were twelve Alvars and sixty-three Nayanars, and they preached Bhakti in Tamil between the 6th and 9th centuries AD.
Who founded Sikhism and what is its holy book?
Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak (1469–1539). Its holy book is the Adi Granth (Guru Granth Sahib), which was compiled by Guru Arjan Dev and includes the hymns of Guru Nanak and other Gurus as well as saints such as Kabir and Baba Farid.
What is the difference between Saguna and Nirguna bhakti?
Saguna bhakti is devotion to a God with form, such as Rama or Krishna (Tulsidas and Surdas), while Nirguna bhakti is devotion to a formless, attribute-less God (Kabir and Guru Nanak).
Which Sufi order was most popular in India and who were its main saints?
The Chishti order was the most popular Sufi order in India. Its main saints were Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Baba Farid, Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi and Nasiruddin Chiragh.
What are the important Sufi terms?
A Sufi hospice is called a khanqah, the master is the pir, the disciple is the murid, the spiritual chain is the silsila, mystical music is sama, and the death anniversary of a saint is observed as the Urs. The tomb of a saint is called a dargah.
What was the impact of the Bhakti and Sufi movements?
The two movements promoted Hindu-Muslim unity and a composite culture, enriched vernacular literature, attacked caste and priestly dominance, allowed the participation of women, and encouraged devotional music and art such as bhajans, kirtans and qawwali.