Bhakthi and Sufi movement

1. UNIT-6
INDIA, THE LAND OF SYNTHESIS
Submitted By,
NEETHU V. S.

3. SUFI MOVEMENT
• Sufi saints came to India in the 11th centaury
from Central Asia.
• Belonged to one of the 12 orders (fraternities)
which were called silsilas.
• Each order had a chief mystic Pir or Shaikh and
a follower, Murid.
• Khanqahs which were the residence of the
Sufis.

4. SUFI MOVEMENT
• Sufi’s give lot emphasis on pure devotion for
reaching near to god.
• Songs of devotion are called Qawwalis.
• Believe that one who really love God will be
close to God.
• Preached equality of all human being.
• Help to maintain cordial relation among different
religions.
• Important orders of Sufi saints in India are those
of Chisti and Suhrawardi.

5. • Some of the major Sufi saints with their respective places are
given below
SUFI MOVEMENT
SUFI SAINT PLACES
1 Baba Farid 1 Ayodha
2 Sayyid Mohammed Jesudaras 2 Gulbarga
3 Shah Alam Bukhari 3 Gujarat
4 Bahauddin Zakaria 4 Maultan
5 Shaikh Shihabudeen
Suhrawardi
5 Sathette

6. BHAKTI MOVEMENT
• Bhakthi means devotion to god or total
surrender oneself to personal god.
• First became popular in South India around 7th
centaury.
• It challenged the conservative Brahmanic
tradition
• Provide representation to the lower castes
and women.
• Contributions in the field of culture and music

7. BHAKTI MOVEMENT
• First revelation in Tamil Nadu by Alwar and the
Nayanar Saints.
• Alwars were devotees of lord
Vishnu(Vaishnavities).
• Nayanar were worshippers of lord
Shiva(Saivities).
• They spread the message peace and brotherhood
though devotional songs.
• They opposed caste distinctions.

8. BHAKTI MOVEMENT
• A new wave of Bhakthi movement emerge in
North India.
• Common people such as craftsperson,
peasants, traders and laborers thronged to
listen to these new saints.
• Some of the popular saints are Kabir and Guru
Nanak.

9. BHAKTI MOVEMENT
• KABIR
 Leading saints of North India.
Aim to unite people of all castes and religions.
Opposed caste system and untouchability.
 Rejected idol worship, pilgrimages and taking
bath in holy river.
He was not in favour of leaving family life for
accepting sainthood.

10. BHAKTI MOVEMENT
• GURU NANAK
 Focused on the ideas of monotheism.
 Tried to combine the ideas of Hinduism and Islam.
 Stood for full religious tolerance and universal
brotherhood.
 Against idol worship and pilgrimage.
 Promoted middle path spiritual life.
 Contribute prayer songs known as Shabad.
 Instructed followers to have food from common
kitchen (lunger).
 Ideas later led to the emergence of Sikhism.

11. BHAKTI MOVEMENT
• Many women attracted to Bhakti movement.
• Mirabai wife of the crown prince of Mewar
and a disple of sain Ravidas was one amongst
them.
• Devotee of lord krishna.
• She composed number of bhajans which is
still recited by the people of Gujarat and
Rajasthan even today.

12. BHAKTI MOVEMENT
• Many other women saints such as
 Lalded of Kashmir
 Bhahinabai of Maharashtra
 Akka Mahadevi of Karnataka.
 Andal

13. THE VIRASAIVA MOVEMENT
• Begun in Karnataka in 15 century A.D.
• Leadership of Basavanna.
• Wore Shiva linga in the neck.
• Stood against gender and caste discrimination.
• Akkammahadevi is a Virasaiva saint and writer

14. THE VIRASAIVA MOVEMENT
• Basavanna was the first who speak about the dignity of
labour.
• Basavanna also remained every job in this world has its
own greatness.
• Every individual should understand God through
duties.
• Basavanna, Allamaprabhu, Akka Mahadevi etc. made
tremendous contributions to Vachana
Sahityam(Kannada).
• Through Vachanas, Basavanna challenged the primacy
of the Vedas and also encouraged social reforms