Timeline:
1206 – Delhi Sultanate was set up
1236 – Death of Shaikh Muinuddin Chishti
1469 – Birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji
1604 – Compilation of Guru Granth Sahib
1699 – Foundation of Khalsa Panth by Guru Gobind Singh Ji
Some Major Religious Teachers in the Subcontinent. This
Timeline indicates the period of the major saints and reforms era
500-800 – CE Appar, Sambandar, Sundaramurti in Tamil Nadu
800-900 – Nammalvar, Manikkavachakar, Andal,
Tondaradippodi in Tamil Nadu The teaching of these saints
influence entire the people of India.
1000-1100 – Al Hujwiri, Data Ganj Bakhsh in the Punjab,
Ramanujacharya in Tamil Nadu
1100-1200 – Basavanna in Karnataka
1200-1300 – Jnanadeva, Muktabai in Maharashtra; Khwaja
Muinuddin Chishti in Rajasthan; Bahauddin Zakariyya and
Fariduddin Ganj-i Shakar in the Punjab; Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar
Kaki in Delhi.
1300-1400 -Lai Ded in Kashmir, Lai Shahbaz Qalandar in Sind;
Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi; Ramananda in Uttar Pradesh;
Chokhamela in Maharashtra; Sharafuddin Yahya Maneri in Bihar
1400-1500 – Kabir, Raidas, Surdas in Uttar Pradesh; Baba Guru
Nanak in the Punjab; Vallabhacharya in Gujarat; Mir Sayyid
Muhammad Gesu Daraz in Gulbarga, Shankaradeve in Assam;
Tukaram in Maharashtra.
1500-1600 – Sri Chaitanya in Bengal; Mirabai in Rajasthan;
Shaikh Abdul Quddus Gangohi, Malik Muhammad Jaisi,
Tulsidas in Uttar Pradesh.
1600-1700 – Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi in Haryana; Miyan Mir in
the Punjab.
BHAKTI MOVEMENT
Early Traditions of Bhakti:
Historians classified bhakti traditions into two broad categories
i.e. Nirguna (without attributes) and Saguna (with attributes).
The Virashaiva Tradition in Karnataka:
A new movement emerged in Karnataka led by a Brahmana
named Basavanna and his companions like Allama Prabhu and
Akkamahadevi. This movement began in Karnataka in the mid-
twelfth century. The Virashaivas argued strongly for the equality
of all human beings and against Brahmanical ideas about caste
and the treatment of women. They were also against all forms of
ritual and idol worship.
His followers were known as Virashaivas (heroes of Shiva) or
Lingayats (Wearers of Lingas). Lingayats continue to be an
important community in the region to date.
The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste, pollution, theory of
rebirth etc and encouraged post-puberty marriage and the
remarriage of widows.
Our understanding of the Virashaiva tradlition is derived from
Vachanas (literally sayings) composed in Kannada by women
and men who joined the movement.
The Saints of Maharashtra
From the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries Maharashtra
saw a great number of saint-poets, whose songs in simple
Marathi continue to inspire people.
The most important among them were Dnyaneshwar
(Gyaneshwar), Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram as well as women
like Sakhubai and the family of Chokhamela, who belonged to
the “untouchable” Mahar caste.
This regional tradition of bhakti focused on the Vitthala (a form
of Vishnu) temple in Pandharpur, as well as on the notion of a
personal god residing in the hearts of all people.
These saint-poets rejected all forms of ritualism, outward
display of piety and social differences based on birth. In fact
they even rejected the idea of renunciation and preferred to
live with their families, earning their livelihood like any other
person, while humbly serving fellow human beings in need.
A new humanist idea emerged as they insisted that bhakti lay in
sharing others’ pain.
As the famous Gujarati saint Narsi Mehta said, “They are
Vaishnavas who understand the pain of others.”
The Vaishnava poet-saints of Maharashtra such as Jnaneshwar,
Namadeva, Eknath and Tukaram were devotees of lord
Vitthala. Devotion around lord Vitthala gave rise to the Varkari
sect which lay emphasis on an annual pilgrimage to
Pandharpur. The cult of Vitthala emerged as a powerful mode
of devotion and was very popular amongst the people.
Nathpanthis, Siddhas, and Yogis
A number of religious groups that emerged during this period
criticised the ritual and other aspects of conventional religion and the
social order, using simple, logical arguments. Among them were the
Nathpanthis, Siddhacharas and Yogis. They advocated renunciation of
the world. To them the path to salvation lay in meditation on the
formless Ultimate Reality and the realisation of oneness with it. To
achieve this they advocated intense training of the mind and body
through practices like yogasanas, breathing exercises and meditation.
These groups became particularly popular among “low” castes. Their
criticism of conventional religion created the ground for devotional
religion to become a popular force in northern India.
Criticised the ritual and other aspects of conventional religion and
the social order, using simple, logical arguments.
They advocated renunciation of the world.
To them, the path to salvation lay in meditation on the formless
god.
To achieve this they advocated intense training of the mind and
body through practices like yogasanas, breathing exercises and
meditation.
These groups became particularly popular among “low” castes.
IMPACT OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT:
The Bhakti saints were social reformers.
The evil practice of Sati and caste rigidities received some set
back.
Women were encouraged to join kirtans. Mirabai, Laila
(Kashmir) and Andal composed verses that are popular even
today.
In place of Sanskrit, Bhakti saints preached through the medium
of local languages which could be understood very
easily. Surdas used ‘Brij’ Tulsi Das composed his works
in ‘Awadhi’. Shankaradeva popularizing Assamese,
Chaitanya spreading their message
in Bengali, Mirabai in Hindi and Rajasthani.
Kirtan at a Hindu Temple, Qawaali at a Dargah (by
Muslims), and singing of Gurbani at a Gurdwara are all
derived from the Bhakti movement of medieval India (800-
1700).
It popularized idea of equality & brotherhood.
Preached inclusive path to spiritual salvation.
Rulers adopted liberal religious policies under the impact of the
Bhakti movement.
A variety of religious structures like stupas, monastries, temples are
found in the sub-continent by the mid-first millennium CE. Textual
resources like the Puranas, music in different regional languages,
hagiographies of saints were also found. These sources provide us
with insight into a dynamic and diverse scenario.
Various Religious Beliefs and Practices:
A wide range of Gods and Goddesses were found in sculpture as
well as in texts. Puranic texts were composed and complied in
simple Sanskrit language which could be accessible to women
and Shudras, who were generally deprived of vedic learning.
Many beliefs and practices were shaped through continuous
mingling of Puranic traditions with local traditions. Jagannatha
cult of Odisha was the local deity made of wood by local tribal
specialists and recognised as a form of Vishnu.
The local deities were often incorporated within the Puranic
framework, by providing them with an identity as wife of the
principal deities. For e.g. they were equated with Lakshmi, wife
of Vishnu, or Parvati, wife of Shiva. Tantric practices were
widespread in several parts of sub-continent. It influenced
Shaivism as well as Buddhism.
The principal deities of the Vedic pantheon Agni, Indra and
Soma were rarely visible in textual or visual representations. All
other religious beliefs, e.g. Buddhism, Jainism, Tantric Practices
ignored the authority of the vedas. The singing and chanting of
devotional composition became a mode of worship particularly
true for the Vaishnava and Shaiva sects.
