• Since the dawn of history, India has been the
• cradle of religious movements.
• The religious movements during the vedic and Later Vedic (i.e. Upanishadic)period witnessed emergence of Bhagavatism and other Brahmanic sects, such as Shaivism, Saktism etc.
•  In the early medieval period two parralled movements, in Hinduism and Islam, respectively representing the Bhakti and Sufi movements emerged in India, which reached their fullest development in the fifteenth and sixteent centuries.
• Both these religious developments have hardly anything to do with the coming of Islam or with the so-called 'Muslim rule in India'.
• The seeds and the Bhakti movements are to be found in the Upanishads, Bhagvad Gita, Bhagavata Purana, etc.
• The various Sufi saints had come to settle down in India in the eleventh-twelfth centuries.
• The earliest and the most well known being Sheikh Muinuddin Chisti, who made Ajmer his home when Prithviraj Chauhan (III) was still ruling over there.
• The greatest merit of both these parallel religious movements is that they freed the Indian society from the dogmatic beliefs, ritualism, caste and communal gatred and so on.
• It was in the true spirit of Indian history and culture that both these movements prospered without even the least ill-will an conflict.
• On the contrary, both contributed to each other's religious ideas and practices.
• Both these movements were democratic movements, which preached simple religion in the language of the masses and neither craved for political patronage nor bothered for the political developments around them.
• At any rate, one can easily find many common points in the Bhakti and Sufi Movements.
• In both, the elements of intellectuality went hand in hand with that of devotion and in both ritualism and ceremonialism were not as important as the search of and love for one Supreme Reality.
• Love and liberalism were the keynotes of the Sufi and Bhakti movements.
• Mystic discipline in both was canalised towards the moral advancement of the individual and society by making them riseabove the barriers of colour, creed, wealth, powerand position.
• The Indo-Muslim strands gave woven intothe texture of India's national existence a newdesign of 'composite culture' by intertwining thethreads of the Bhakti Marg with the Islamic Sufi(mystic) traditions.
• The Indian social customswith the values of man and social ethics reflecteda new ethos.
• It is not surprising, therefore, torealize that the composite culture in Indiaoriginated in an environment of reconciliation rather then refutation cooperation rather thanconfromation, co-existance rather than mutualannihilation.

Nath panthis

• Many Hindu yogis adopted the practice of attaining supernatural powers. The most famous among then was Gorakhnath. The followers of Gorakhnath were called Nath panthis. They denounced the caste system and privileges claimed by Brahamanas. The path they preached was called ‘Tantra’.

Bhakti movement

• The Bhakti movement is much older than the Sufi movements.
• It philosophical concept had been fully enunciated in the Upanishads and subsequently, the Bhagavad Gita emphasised love and devotion as pathways to God.
• In the sixth century A.D. The Bhagavata purana placed the concept of bhakti on a very high pedestal.
• During the post-Bhagavata phase passionate love and devotion to one personal god become a characteristic feature of the Indian religious thought.
• But the concept of bhakti was placed on a firmer ground in South India, when Shankaracharya revived the philosophy of Advaita or Vedanta.
• After Shankara, twelve Tamil Vaishnava saints collectively known as Alvars made the concept of bhakti more popular.
• The Alvars were followed by the Vaishnavaacharyas who gave the Bhakti cult a metaphysical foundation.
• According to this school of thought the 'Supreme Being' is not 'attributeless' but saguna, possissing qualities of goodness and beauty to an infinite degree.
• The early leadera of the Bhakti movement to North India and is rightly regarded as a bridge between the bhakti movement of Suth and North India. 

Features of Bhakti movement

• The concept of Bhakti means singleminded devotion to one God. The object of the devotee's adoration is to secure the grace of God for the sake of aslvation.
• The Bhakti cult discarded the rituals and sacrifices as modes of worship and instend emphasis ed the purity of reart and mind, humanism and devation as the simple way to realisation of God.
• The Bhakti movement was essentially monotheistic and the devotees worshipped one personal God, who could either have form (saguna) or be formless (nirguna). The followers of the former, knowh as vaishhavas, were futher subdivided into of Krishna - both incarnations of Vishnu - as their personal God, respectively. The followers of Nirguna Bhakti discarded idol worship. They said that, God is omnipresent and resides within the heart of man.
• On the philosophical side, the Saguna and Nirguna both believed in the Upanishadic philosophy of advaita, with minor variation suggested by various Bhakti saints.
• The Bhakti saints of North as well as South India regarded knowledge (jana) as a consitituent of bhakti. Since, that knowledge could be gained through a teacher of guru, the Bhakti movement greatly emphasised securing true knowledge form a guru.
• The Bhakti movement was an egalitarian movement, which completely discard the disciminations based on caste of creed. The saints of the Bhakti movement were staunch wupporters of social unity and purity of mind, character and soul. The doors of Bhakti were opened for the lowest classes and even untouchables. Many of the saits of the Bhakti movement were from the lower classes.
• The Bhakti movement also discarded the priestly domination as well as rituals. According to the Bhakti saints, the individual could realise God through devotion and personal effort. Therefore, there was no place for sacrifices and daily rituals in the Bhakti movement.
• The Bhakti saints preached in the simple language of the masses and, therefore, immensely contributed to the development of modern Indian languages, such as Hindi, Marathi, Bengali and Gujarati.
• It can thus be seen that the Bhakti cult was a widespread movement that the Bhakti cult was a widespread movement that embrached the whole of the subcontinent of India for several centuries.
• It was a movement of the people and aroused intense interest among them.
• Perhaps after the decline of Buddhism there had never been a more widespread and popular movement in our country than the Bhakti movement.
• Although its basic principles of love and devotion to a personal God were purely Hindu and the principles of unity of Godhead on which its teaching rested were also mainly Hindu.
• The movement was profoundly influenced by Islamic belief and practices.
• The Bhakti movement had two main objects in view.
• One was to reform the Hindu religion so as to enable it to withstand the onslaught of Islamic propaganda and proselytism.
• Its second object was to bring about a compromise between Hinduism and Islam and to foster friendly relations between Hindu and Muslim communities.
• It succeeded in realising, to a great extent, the first object of bringing about the simplification of worship and liberalising the traditional caste rules.
• "The high and the low among the Hindu public forgot many of their projedices and believed in the message of the reformers of the Bhakti cult, that all people were equal in the eyes of God and that birth was no bar to religious salvation".

South india

• Growth of Bhakti movement in South India was led by series of popular saints called Nyannars and Alvars. The chief object of their worship was Shiva and Vishnu. They spoke and wrote in Tamil and Telgu.
• Another popular movement which arose around the 12th century was Lingayat of Vir Shaiva movement. Its founder was Basava and his nephew Channabasava who lived at the courts of Kalchuri kings of Karnataka.
• Ramanuja (Born 1018 A.D) He gave a sound philoshipical basis to the Bhakti cult of Vaishnavas. he expounded Vishistadavita.
• Madhavacharya – (1199-1278) – He was the fountain head of Bhakti movement in Karnatka and the founder of Davita school of Philosophy.
• Umapati Shivacharya – He was a prolific writer and eight of the fourteen authoritative philosophical treatise on Shaivism is attributed to him.
• Jnandeva – (1175-1296 A.D.) – he was progenitor of Bhakti movement in Maharastra. His father Vittal Panth was  a disciple of Ramananda.
• Namdeva – (1270-1350 A.D.) – He belonged to the Chilpi Caste. he was a disciple of Visoba Khechar and Nirguna Upasaka. Some of his abhangas are included in Guru Granth Sahib.
• Ekanath (1548 A.D.) - He was the grandson of well known saint Bhanudasa. He was opposed to caste distinction and evinced greatest sympathy for men of low caste.
• Tukaram - He was a farmer’s son and great devotee of Vittal. He was opposed to caste distinction and evinced greatest sympathy for men of low caste.
• Ramadasa (1608) - He established ashramas all over India it was from him that Shivaji received the inspiration to overthrow Muslim authority and found the kingdom.

North india

• Ramananda - The Bhakti movement was spread in north by Ramananda who was greatly influenced by the teaching of Ramanuja. He ignored the traditional barrier of caste and creed and had among his disciple-Raidasa, the cobbler, Kabir the weaver, Dhanna the jat farmer and Sena, the barber.
• Kabir (1398 A.D.) - He was the most important of disciples of Ramananda. The God he worshipped was the formless one. He sharply condemened caste and religious distinctions and taught the brotherhood of man. One of his leading followers Dhanadasa formed the Dharmadasi branch of Kabir Panth.
• Raidas - He was from mystic Nirguns school. He composed songs brimming with love and devotion. After him his follower formed the Raidasa Panth. Rani Jhali of Chittor became his disciple.
• Charandasa - He was a Nirguna upasaka and practised yoga but he was a great devotee of Srikrishna.
• Gurunanak - (1469-1539 A.D.) Gurunanak the founder of Sikhism was a mystique of Nirguna school. But his followers branched off from Hinduism and founded a seperate religious system. He became a wandering preacher of a casteless, universal, ethical, antiritualistic and monotheistic and highly spritual religion.
• Sur Dasa (1483-1513 A.D.) - He belongs to Saguna school. He was a disciple of famous religious teacher Vallabhacharya. He sang the glory of Krishna’s childhood and youth in his Surasagra.
• Tulsi Das (1532-1623 A.D.) - He belongs to Saguna school of Hindu Mystics. He composed the famous Ramacharitamanas.
• Chaitanya (1486-1533 A.D.) - The popularity of Vaishnavism in Bengal is due to Sri Chaitanya of Gamanga. He came under the influence of Vaishnava saint Ishvarapuri. He spread the message that raag marg or path of spontaneous love was the best for salvation.

Sikh gurus

• Guru Nanak (1469-1538 A.D.) - Founded Sikh religion.
• Guru Angad (1538-1522 A.D.) - Invented the Gurumukhi.
• Guru Amar Das (1552-1574) - Struggled against Sati and purdha system. Established 22 Gaddiyans to propogate religion.
• Guru Ramdas - Founded Amritsar in 1677 (Akbar granted the land)
• Guru Arjun - Founded ‘Swarna Mandir’, composed ‘Adigranth’ and appointed mansad and meura for religious work. He was executed by Jahangir.
• Guru Hargovind - Transformed Sikhs into militant community established ‘Akal Takhta’ and fortified Amritsar.
• Guru Har Rai
• Guru Har Krishan
• Guru Teg Bahadur -He was executed by Aurangzeb.
• Guru Govind Singh - He was the last Guru. He founded Khalsa Army and introduced a new rite ‘Pahul’.

Hindu religious ideas

• Vishisht Advaita of Ramanujacharya – it means qualified monism. The ultimate reality according to its Brahman (god) who is imminent in matter and individual souls and controls them from within.
• Sivadvaita of Shankracharya – He propounded the view that Shiva endowed with Shakti is ultimate Brahman who pervades the universe and exist beyond it.
• Dwaitadwait of Madhavacharya – According to this dualism the worlds is not an illusion but a reality full of real distinctions. God, mattern and soul are all unique in their nature and are irreducible to each other.
• Daaitadvaita of Nimbarkacharya – According to this dualistic monism Brahman really transformed himself into the world and souls which are real and distinct and different from god, but cannot exist without its support.
• Suddadvaita Vedanta of Vallabhacharya – Vallabha’s philosophy is known as Pushtimarga and his school by the name Rudrasampradaya. he identified Brahamana with Srikrishna.
• Achintyabheadabhedvada of Chaitanya god according to Chaitanya is Krishna. He is full of infinite love and bliss. He is full of infinite power and consciousness. Radha is the power of Krishna, there is no difference between him and Radha. Although infinite he incarnates in form of finite mortals and is subject to love. Bhakti or devotion is only means of liberation.

• Those saints among the muslims who advocated a life of purity and renunciation were called Sufis. Another view is that the word Sufi came out of the word Sooph meaning wool.
• Sufism sprang from the doctrine of Wahadat-ul-wujud or unity of being. This doctrine was propounded by Shaikh Muhi-ud-din Ibnul Arabi (1165-1240 A.D.)
• One of the earliest Sufis was a woman saint Rabnia of Basra who laid great emphasis on love as bond between god and individual soul.
• An important contribution to development of Sufism was made by Mansur-Al-Halaj in 10th century A.d. He conceived the relation of god with man as infusion of divine into human soul. He provided the basis for development of the doctrine of Insan I-Kamil. (The perfect man)
• Farib-ud-din Atar wrote 114 books on Sufism. he also compiled autobiographies and sayings of Muslim saints in Tadhkirat-al-Auliya, which is considered to be a source book for study of early Sufism.
• Jalal-Ud-Din Rumi left a vast store of spiritual knowledge in his ‘Masnavi’.
• Al-Ghazzali who is venerated both by the orthodox elements and Sufis tried to reconcile mysticism with Islamic orthodoxy.
• The Sufis were organized in 12 order or “Silsilahs” . The silsilahs were generally led by a prominent mystic who lived in “Khanqah” along with his disciples.
• The link between the teacher or “Pir” and his disciple or “Murids” was a vital part of Sufi system. Every Pir nominated a successor or “Wali” to carry out work.
• The sufi orders are widely dividedinto two Basahara that is those who followed the Islamic law and Be-Sahara that is those which were not bound by it. Of the Be-sahara movement only two acquired significant influence. These were Chisti and suharwardi Silsilahs.

Chisti order

• The Chisti order was founded by Khwaja Abdul Chisti in Herat. It was brought to India by Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti (1141-1236). He arrived at Lahore in 1161 A.d. and settled at Ajmer about 1206 A.D.
• Two of the important disciples of Shaikh Muinudin were Shaik Hamid-ud-din and Shaik Qutub-ud-din Bhaktiyar Kaki. Kaki came to Delhi during the rule of Iltutmish.
• Shak Farid-ud-din Ganj-I-shakar was desciple of Kaki. He worked in Hansi And Ajodhan. His outlook was so broad and humane that someof his verse are found quoted in Adi-granth of Sikhs. Sultan balban was devoted to Baba Farid.
• However, the most famous of Chisti saints were Nizamuddin Auliya and Nasiruddin Chriag-IU-Delhi. Auliya was generally known as Mahbud-I-Iiahi (beloved of god).
• An important Chisti center was established at Nagaur by Shaik Hamid-ud-din naguri.
• They made themselves popular by adopting musical recitation called ‘Sama’ to create mood of nearness to god.

Other Silsilas

• Suhrawardi Silsila – it was founded by Shaikh Shihabuddin Suhrwardi. The credit of organizing it on sound basis goes to Shaik bahauddin Zakariya. Its main centers were Multan. Saints of this orders had big Jagirs and had closed contact with state.
• Firdausi Silsila – It was first established in Delhi by Shaik Badruddin of Samark, but later on its moved to Bihar and Became the most influential mystic order. It most distinguished saint was Shaik Shamasuddin Yahya Munair who believed in Pantheistic monoism.
• Shattari Silsila – It was founded in India by Shah Abdullah Shattari. It was however under Shaik Muhammad Ghauth of Gwalior that the order developed to its full statue. Among his discriple were the famous musician Tansen. The Shattari saints sought to synthesize Hindu and mystical Muslim thoughts to practice.
• Qadiri Silsila – Shah Niamatula Qadri was probably the first notable saint of this order to enter India but it was Syed Mayhdum Muhammad Jilani who organized it on efficieve basis. Dara Shikoh the eldest son of Shah Jahan was followed of this order.
• Naqshbandi Silsila – This silsila was introduced in India by Khwaja Baqi Billah during the later years of Akbar’s reign who came from Kabul and settled of Delhi. It attained a position of great importance in India under the leadership of Shaik Ahmad Sirhindi. he was opposed to Pantheistic philosophy (wahdut-ul-wujud) and propounded the theory of (wahdut-ul-Shudud).
• Mahdawi Movement – It was initiated by Syed Muhammad Mahadi of Jaunpur who promised Mahdi to set al things right. He concentrated his energies on regeneration of peoples.
• Raushaniyah Movement – The movement owed its origin to Miyan Bayazid Ansari a native of Jallandur. He emphasized inter organization of religious rites and inspired his followers with the ideal of ascetic self-denial.

Hindu Impact on Sufism

• Since the dawn of history, India has been the
• cradle of religious movements.
• The religious movements during the vedic and Later Vedic (i.e. Upanishadic)period witnessed 
• emergence of Bhagavatism and other Brahmanic sects, such as Shaivism, Saktism etc.
• In the early medieval period two parralled movements, in Hinduism and Islam, respectively representing the Bhakti and Sufi movements emerged in India, which reached their fullest development in the fifteenth and sixteent centuries.
• Both these religious developments have hardly anything to do with the coming of Islam or with the so-called 'Muslim rule in India'.
• The seeds and the Bhakti movements are to be found in the Upanishads, Bhagvad Gita, Bhagavata Purana, etc.
• The various Sufi saints had come to settle down in India in the eleventh-twelfth centuries, the earliest and the most well known being Sheikh Muinuddin Chisti, who made Ajmer his home when Prithviraj Chauhan (III) was still ruling over there.
• The greatest merit of both these parallel religious movements is that they freed the Indian society from the dogmatic beliefs, ritualism, caste and communal gatred and so on.
• It was in the true spirit of Indian history and culture that both these movements prospered without even the least ill-will an conflict.
• On the contrary, both contributed to each other's religious ideas and practices. Both these movements were democratic movements, which preached simple religion in the language of the masses and neither craved for political patronage nor bothered for the political developments around them.
• At any rate, one can easily find many common points in the Bhakti and Sufi Movements.
• In both, the elements of intellectuality went hand in hand with that of devotion and in both ritualism and ceremonialism were not as important as the search of and love for one Supreme Reality.
• Love and liberalism were the keynotes of the Sufi and Bhakti movements.
• Mystic discipline in both was canalised towards the moral advancement of the individual and society by making them rise
• above the barriers of colour, creed, wealth, power and position.
• The Indo-Muslim strands gave woven into the texture of India's national existence a new design of 'composite culture' by intertwining the theads of the Bhakti Marg with the Islamic Sufi (mystic) traditions, the Indian social customs with the values of man and social ethics reflected a new ethos.
• It is not surprising, therefore, to realize that the composite culture in India originated in an environment of reconciliation rather then refutation. cooperation rather than confromation, co-existance rather than mutual annihilation.