Bhakti Movement

(8th to 18th Century)

By Dr Vipan Goyal
 Bhakti Movement (8th to 18th Century)
• Spread of Isalam in India directly resulted in the Medieval Bhakti
Movement. The Bhakti Movement in Medieval India is of diverse
way.
• The thinking of Bhakti Reformers’ thinking like that of Kabir, Nana
and Ramananda were shaped by the preaching of Sufi teachers.
 Sufism
• Sufism was a liberal reform movement within Islam. It spread into
India in the 11th century but had origin in Persia.
• Shaikh Ismail
 Shaikh Ismail of Lahore was the first Sufi Saint who started
preaching his ideas.
• Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti
• He was one of the most famous Sufi Saints who settled in Ajmer
which became the centre of his activities.
 Sufism
• He had a number of disciples who are called Sufis of the Chishti
Order.
• Bahauddin Zakariya
 He is another renowned Sufi Saint who was influenced by
Shihabuddin Suhrawardi another famous mystic.
 He founded the Sufis of the Suhrawardi Order.
• Nizamuddin Auliya
• He belonged to the Chishti Order who is regarded to be a mighty
spiritual force.
 About Sufism
• Sufism highlighted the essentials of love and devotion as the effective
means of the realization of God.
• Sufis believed service to humanity was equal to service to God. According
to the Sufis, Love of God meant Love of Humanity.
• In Sufism, self-discipline is essential to gain knowledge of God with a sense
of insight.
• According to Sufis one must have the guidance of a pir or guru, without
which spiritual development is impossible and his disciple or Murid was a
vital part of Sufi system.
• Every pir nominated a successor or Wali to carry out work.
 Major differences between the Sufis
and Orthodox Muslims
Sufis Orthodox Muslims
The Sufis highlight on inner the Orthodox Muslims stress
purity. on external conduct
The consider love and devotion
They believed in blind
as the only means of attaining
observance of rituals.
salvation.
Sufism also taught a spirit of tolerance among its followers.
 Ideas of Sufism
• Sufism emphasized on good actions, meditation, performance of
prayers and pilgrimages, repentance for sins, fasting, charity and
suppression of passions by austere practices.
• The liberal and unorthodox features of Sufism had a profound
influence on Medieval Bhakti Saints.
 The Chishti Silsilah
• The Chisti Order was established in India by MuinuddinChishti who
moved to India after the invasion of Muizzuddin Muhammad Ghori
and subsequently to Ajmer in 1206.
• His grave was visited by Muhammad Tughlaq after which the
mosque and dome were erected by Mahmud Khalji of Malwa in the
fifteenth century.
• The patronage of this dargah peaked after the reign of the Mughal
emperor Akbar.
 The Chishti Silsilah
• NizamuddinAuliya, was the best known Chishti saint of the
Sultanate period. He lived in the fourteenth century, during a period
of political change and turmoil.
• During his lifetime he was witness to the establishment of the Khalji
rule after the death of Balban and subsequently the establishment
of the Tughlaq’s.
 The Suhrawardi Silsilah
• This Silsilah was founded by Shihabuddin Suhrawardi in Baghdad.
• It was established in India by Bahauddin Zakariya who founded the
Suhrawardi Order, based in Mutan, which was under the control of
Qubacha.
 Naqshbandi Silsilah
• In India this order was established by Khwaja Bahauddin
Naqshbandi.
• From the beginning the mystics of this Order stressed on the
observance of the Shariat and denounced all innovations or biddat
 The Qadri Silsilah
• The Quadiriyya silsilah was popular in Punjab.
• Sheikh Abdul Qadir and his sons were supporters of the Mughals under
Akbar.
• Among the famous Sufis of this order was Miyan Mir who had enrolled the
Mughal princess Jahanara and her brother Dara as disciples.
• The influence of the sheikh’s teachings is evident in the works of the
prince Dara.
 Sankaracharya
• Sankaracharya was a Nambudiri Brahman born in Kaladi, Malabar.
• He was originally a worshiper of Shiva.
• He gave an entirely new turn to the Hindu revival movement by
providing it with a solid philosophical background through the
reinterpretation of ancient Indian scriptures, particularly the
Upanishads.
• Sankaracharya advocated the philosophy of “Advaita”/ a Vedantic
doctrine that identifies the individual self (atman) with the
ground of reality (brahman).
 Bhakti Movement in South
• The Bhakti Movement originated in the seventh-century in Tamil,
South India (now parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala), and spread
northwards.
• It swept over east and north India from the 15th century onwards,
reached its peak between the 15th and 17th century CE.
 The Alvars and Nayanars of Tamil Nadu
• The Alvars and Nayanars led some of the earliest bhakti movements
(c. sixth century).
• Alvars – those who are “immersed” in devotion to Vishnu
• Nayanars – leaders who were devotees of Shiva
• They travelled from place to place singing hymns in Tamil praising
their gods.
 The Alvars and Nayanars of Tamil Nadu
• The Alvars and Nayanars initiated a movement of protest against
the caste system and the dominance of Brahmanas or at least
attempted to reform the system.
• This is supported by the fact that bhaktas or disciples hailed from
diverse social backgrounds ranging from Brahmanas to artisans and
cultivators and even from castes considered “untouchable”
• The Nalayira Divyaprabandham (“Four Thousand Sacred
Compositions”) – one of the major anthologies of compositions of
the 12 Alvars compiled by the 10th Century
 The Alvars and Nayanars of Tamil Nadu

• It was frequently described as the Tamil Veda, thus claiming that

the text was as significant as the four Vedas in Sanskrit that were
cherished by the Brahmanas.
• From a composition of an Alvar named Tondaradippodi a Brahmana
mentions Chaturvedins – Are strangers and without faithfulness to
your service.
• Tevaram – a collection of compiled and classified in the 10th century
on the basis of the music of the songs of Appar, Sambandar, and
Sundarar.
 Women Devotees
• Andal
 A woman Alvar the compositions of Andal were widely sung (and
continue to be sung to date).
 Andal saw herself as the beloved of Vishnu; her verses express her
love for the deity.
• Karaikkal Ammaiyar
 Another woman, Karaikkal Ammaiyar, a devotee of Shiva, adopted the
path of extreme asceticism in order to attain her goal.
 Ramanuja
• He was born at Sriperumbudur near modern Chennai.
• He preached Visishtadvaita in the12th century. (in which Brahman alone
exists, but is characterized by multiplicity.
• According to him, God is Sagunabrahman.
• He encouraged Prabattimarga or path of self-surrender to God.
• He invited the downtrodden to Vaishnavism.
 Madhava
• Madhava is from Kannada region whose preaching prevailed in the
13th
• He spread Deviator dualism of Jivatma and Paramatma.
• His philosophy was that the world is not an illusion but a reality.
God, soul, matter is unique in nature.
 Nimbarka and Vallabhacharya
• Nimbarka and Vallabhacharya were also other preachers of
Vaishnavite Bhakti in the Telangana region
• Nimbkara gave the concept of Dwaitadwaitwad.
• Vallabacharya gave the concept of Shudh Adwaitwad.
 Surdas
• He was the disciple of Vallabhacharya
• He popularized Krishna cult in the Northern part of India
• He wrote Sur-Sarawali, Sahitya Lahiri and Sur Sagar.
 Mirabai
• She was a great devotee of Krishna.
• She became popular in Rajasthan for her bhajans.
• She married to Rana Sanga’s eldest son Bhojraj.
 Tulsidas
• He was a worshipper of Rama.
• He composed the famous Ramcharitmanas, the Hindi version of
Ramayana.
• He also wrote Gitawali, Hanuman Chalisa, Vinay Patrika.
 Ramananda
• He was born at Allahabad.
• Initially he was a follower of Ramanuja.
• Later he founded his own sect and preached his principles in Hindi
at Banaras and Agra.
• Ramananda was the first to employ the vernacular medium to
spread his ideas.
• He opposed the caste system and chose his disciples from all
sections of society irrespective of caste.
 Ramananda
Ramananda’s disciples were:
• Kabir
• Raidasa, he was a cobbler
• Sena, he was a barber
• Sadhana
• Dhanna, he was from a Jat farmer
• Naraharai, he was a goldsmith
• Pipa, he was a Rajput prince
 Kabir
• Kabir was the most famous disciple of Ramananda.
• He was brought up by a Muslim couple who were weavers by
profession.
• He had a curious mind in learning new things and he learnt much
about Hinduism in Benares.
• Kabir’s aim was to reunite Hindus and Muslims and form harmony
between them.
• He is regarded as the greatest of the mystic saints.
 Kabir
• His followers are called Kabirpanthis and named his orally
composed poems of wisdom as Banis. These songs and couplet
called Dohe.
• Literary works are Kabir Bijek, Kabir Parachai, Sakhi, Granth etc.
• In the 14th and 15th centuries, Ramananda, Kabir and Nanak
remained the great apostles of the Bhakti cult.
• They aided the common people to shed age-old superstitions and
attain salvation through Bhakti or pure devotion.
• Criticized all forms of worship of idols.
 Guru Nanak
• Guru Nanak was born in Talwandi near Lahore.
• He was a disciple of Kabir.
• He was founder of the Sikh Religion.
• He condemned caste difference and rituals like bathing in holy
rivers.
• He established a centre at Kartarpur named Dera Baba Nanak on
the river Ravi. His idea of religion was highly practical and strictly
moral.
• His one of the famous sayings was “Abide pure amidst the
impurities of the world”.
 Guru Angad
• Guru Angad also known as Lehna was appointed by Guru before his
death.
• Guru Angad compiled the compositions of Guru Nanak in a new
script known as Gurmukhi and added his own compositions as well.
 Guru Arjan
• He was the 5th Guru.
• He compiled the writings of the three successors of Guru Angad
who wrote under the name of “Nana”.
• He was executed by Jehangir in 1604.
 Guru Gobind Singh
• He was the 9th Guru.
• In 1706, he authenticated the compilation which was added with
the writings of other figures like Shaikh Farid, Sant Kabir, Bhagat
Namdev and Guru Tegh Bahadur, which is now known as Guru
Granth Sahib.
• The town of Ramdaspur (Amritsar) had developed around the
central Gurdwara called Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) by the
beginning of the 17th century. It was almost self-governing and also
referred as ‘a state within the state’ community.
 Chaitanya
• Chaitanya was another renowned saint and reformer of Bengal who
popularised the Krishna cult.
• He believed that a devotee can feel the presence of God through
song and dance and love and devotion.
• Kirtan system was given by Chaitanya only.
 Gnanadeva
• He was the founder of the Bhakti Movement in Maharashtra in the
13th
• It was called as Maharashtra dharma.
• He wrote Gnaneswari a commentary of Bhagavad Gita
 Namadeva
• In the 16th Century, Namadeva preached the gospel of love.
• He opposed idol worship and the dominance of priests.
• He criticized the Caste System.
 Ekanatha
• He was a prominent Marathi Sant, a scholar and religious poet of
the Varkari Sampradaya.
• He opposed caste differences and was kind towards the lower
castes.
• He is known as a bridge between his predecessors Dnyaneshwarand
Namdev and the later Tukaram and Ramdas.
 Tukaram
• Tukaram was another Bhakti saint of Maharashtra and was a
contemporary of Sivaji.
• Tukaram also referred to as Sant Tukaram, Bhakta Tukaram, Tukaram
Maharaj, Tukobaand Tukobaraya.
• He was a 17th-century poet-saint of the Bhakti movement in
• Tukaram is best known for his Abhanga- devotional poetry and kirtans –
community-oriented worship with spiritual songs.
• His poetry was devoted to Vitthala or Vithoba, an avatar of Hindu
god Vishnu.
• Responsible for creating a background for Maratha nationalism
 Nathpanthis, Siddhas, and Yogis
• They condemned the ritual and other aspects of orthodox religion
and the social order, using simple, logical arguments.
• They encouraged the renunciation of the world.
• To them, the path to salvation lay in meditation and 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.
 Importance of the Bhakti Movement
• Bhakti movement provided a spur for the development of regional
languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, etc.
• The lower classes rose to a position of great importance.
• The Bhakti movement gave equal importance to men and women
which gave way to the importance of women in society
Thank You