CUET UG History Medieval India Bhakti and Sufi Movements Key Saints Contributions

Must-Know (15–20 detailed bullets)

• Kabir was a 15th-century poet-saint who rejected ritualism and caste, composed in Hindi and used terms like "Rama" and "Allah" interchangeably; his verses are in the Guru Granth Sahib.
• Guru Nanak founded Sikhism in the late 15th century (born 1469 CE); he preached naam japo, karma karo, vand chhako and established langar.
• Mirabai, a 16th-century Rajput princess and devotee of Krishna, composed bhajans in Rajasthani and Hindi; her poetry is included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1533 CE) popularized Krishna bhakti in Bengal through sankirtan (group chanting); he considered Krishna as Radha-Krishna combined.
• Tulsidas composed the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi in the 16th century (c. 1574 CE), making Rama’s story accessible to the masses.
• Shankaradeva of Assam (1449–1568 CE) founded the Ekasarana Dharma, emphasized devotion to Krishna, and introduced namghar as a community prayer hall.
• Basavanna led the Lingayat movement in 12th-century Karnataka; rejected caste and ritual, promoted sharanas and ishtalinga worship.
• The Alvars were 12 Vaishnava saints in South India (6th–9th centuries CE) who composed Tamil Prabandhams; key figures include Nammalvar and Andal.
• The Nayanars were 63 Shaiva saints in Tamil Nadu (6th–8th centuries CE); Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar are prominent; their hymns compiled in Tevaram.
• Ramanuja (1017–1137 CE) propounded Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism), emphasized bhakti and saranagati (surrender to Vishnu).
• Shankaracharya (c. 8th century CE) established Advaita Vedanta (non-dualism) and founded four mathas in Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri, and Joshimath.
• Madhvacharya (13th century CE, 1238–1317) founded Dvaita (dualism) philosophy; based in Karnataka, he emphasized eternal distinction between soul and God.
• Sufism entered India in the 11th century; the Chishti order was established by Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (d. 1236 CE) in Ajmer.
• Nizamuddin Auliya (1238–1325 CE) was a Chishti saint in Delhi; his khanqah attracted people across religions; disciple was Amir Khusrau.
• The Suhrawardi order in India was introduced by Bahauddin Zakariya (d. 1262 CE) in Multan; supported by the Sultans, less ascetic than Chishtis.
• The Qadiri Sufi order reached India in the 15th century; popular in Punjab and Sindh; associated with Dara Shikoh in the 17th century.
• Kabir’s disciples included Dhanna, Pipa, and Sadhana; his ideas influenced both Sikhism and the Sant tradition.
• The Bijak is a key text attributed to Kabir containing his sakhis and pads.
• The Divya Prabandham of the Alvars was compiled by Nathamuni; also called the Tamil Veda.
• verify from NCERT: Exact year of Mirabai’s birth.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate — Requires knowledge of regional saints, their philosophies, and textual sources, but avoids obscure details beyond NCERT.

Common CUET Traps

• Trap: Confusing Advaita (Shankaracharya) with Vishishtadvaita (Ramanuja).
  Avoid: Remember: Advaita = non-dual (one reality), Vishishtadvaita = qualified non-dual (souls part of God but distinct).

• Trap: Assuming all Sufi orders were equally opposed to orthodoxy.
  Avoid: Chishti emphasized austerity and music (sama); Suhrawardi accepted state patronage and was less ascetic.

• Trap: Attributing Ramcharitmanas to Valmiki.
  Avoid: Valmiki wrote the Ramayana in Sanskrit; Tulsidas wrote Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi.

Practice MCQs

1. Question: Who among the following composed the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi?
   
   A. Surdas
   
   B. Tulsidas
   
   C. Kabir
   
   D. Ravidas
   Answer: B
   Explanation: Tulsidas composed the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi in the 16th century.
   Why others fail: Surdas composed Sursagar on Krishna, not Rama.

2. Question: Which Sufi saint established the Chishti order in India?
   
   A. Bahauddin Zakariya
   
   B. Nizamuddin Auliya
   
   C. Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti
   
   D. Salim Chishti
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti founded the Chishti order in Ajmer in the 12th century.
   Why others fail: Nizamuddin Auliya was a later Chishti saint, not the founder.

3. Question: The Tevaram is associated with which group of saints?
   
   A. Alvars
   
   B. Nayanars
   
   C. Virashaivas
   
   D. Sants
   Answer: B
   Explanation: The Tevaram contains hymns of the Nayanars, the Shaiva saints of Tamil Nadu.
   Why others fail: Alvars are Vaishnava saints whose works are in Divya Prabandham.

4. Question: Which philosophy was propounded by Ramanuja?
   
   A. Dvaita
   
   B. Advaita
   
   C. Vishishtadvaita
   
   D. Shuddhadvaita
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Ramanuja taught Vishishtadvaita, the idea of qualified non-dualism.
   Why others fail: Dvaita was taught by Madhvacharya, not Ramanuja.

5. Question: Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?
   
   A. Basavanna – Maharashtra
   
   B. Shankaradeva – Odisha
   
   C. Mirabai – Rajasthan
   
   D. Tulsidas – Bengal
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Mirabai was a Rajput princess from Rajasthan and a devotee of Krishna.
   Why others fail: Basavanna was from Karnataka; Shankaradeva was from Assam; Tulsidas was from Uttar Pradesh.

Last‑Minute Revision

• ⚠️ Kabir – Bijak, sakhis, in Guru Granth Sahib.
• ⚠️ Guru Nanak – born 1469, Punjabi, three pillars: naam japo, karma karo, vand chhako.
• ⚠️ Mirabai – Rajput, Krishna bhakt, poems in Guru Granth Sahib.
• ⚠️ Tulsidas – Ramcharitmanas, Awadhi, 16th century.
• ⚠️ Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – Bengal, sankirtan, 1486–1533.
• ⚠️ Alvars – 12 Vaishnava saints, Divya Prabandham, "Tamil Veda".
• ⚠️ Nayanars – 63 Shaiva saints, Tevaram, Appar-Sambandar-Sundarar.
• ⚠️ Ramanuja – Vishishtadvaita, Srirangam temple, 11th–12th century.
• ⚠️ Shankaracharya – Advaita, four mathas, 8th century.
• ⚠️ Madhvacharya – Dvaita, 13th century, Udupi.
• ⚠️ Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti – Ajmer, 12th century, Chishti order.
• ⚠️ Nizamuddin Auliya – Delhi, 13th–14th century, khanqah, Amir Khusrau.
• ⚠️ Suhrawardi order – Bahauddin Zakariya, Multan, state support.
• ⚠️ Basavanna – 12th century, Karnataka, sharanas, ishtalinga.
• ⚠️ Shankaradeva – Assam, Ekasarana Dharma, namghar.
• ⚠️ Sama – Chishti practice of devotional music.
• ⚠️ Langar – community kitchen, started by Guru Nanak.
• ⚠️ Dara Shikoh – wrote Majma-ul-Bahrain, linked Sufism and Upanishads.
• ⚠️ verify from NCERT: Exact dates of Alvar and Nayanar periods.
• ⚠️ Vishishtadvaita = soul part of God but distinct; Advaita = soul and God are one.