Context:

The Prime Minister praised Amir Khusrau and Sufism, highlighting it as India’s pluralistic heritage. 

Amir Khusrau

• About:
  • He was a 13^th century Sufi poet and musician who was bestowed with the title of Tuti-yi-Hind, the ‘Parrot of India’.  
  • His real name was Abu'l Hasan Yamin ud-Din Khusrau and was born in Patiali, Etah district of Uttar Pradesh. 

• Contributions: He made lasting contributions to Indian classical music, Sufi qawwali, and Persian literature.  
  • Language: He is credited for developing Hindavi, a precursor to modern Hindi and Urdu. 
    • His literary works blended Persian, Arabic, and Indian traditions, enriching Indian linguistic heritage. 
    • His literary works include Divans (poetry collections), Mathnawis (narrative poetry), and treatises. 
  • Music: He is credited with creating new ragas and developing musical forms like Khayal (a form of classical Hindustani music), and Tarana (a rhythmic, fast-paced vocal composition),  
    • It is said that Amir Khusrau was one of the first expounders of the art of making Ghazal and Qawwali (devotional Sufi music traditions). 
    • He is believed to have invented musical instruments such as the sitar and tabla. 
• Role in the Delhi Sultanate: He served at least five Sultans i.e., Muiz ud din Qaiqabad, Jalaluddin Khalji, Alauddin Khalji, Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah, and Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, and many other powerful patrons over five decades. 
  • Sultan Jalaluddin Khalji honored him with the title of Amir in recognition of his literary excellence. 
• Sufi Influence: Amir Khusrau was the beloved disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya and drew spiritual inspiration from him, shaping his poetry and music. 

Sufism: 

• About: Sufism is the mystical and spiritual dimension of Islam, focusing on inner purification, love, and direct connection with God (Allah).  
  • It emerged in the 7th and 10th centuries CE against the rigidity of institutionalised religion and emphasizes devotion, self-discipline, and renunciation of materialism to attain spiritual enlightenment.  
  • It ran parallel to the spiritual Bhakti movement in Hindu tradition emphasizing devotion (bhakti), love, and inner realization over ritualistic practices. 
• Core Practices: Sufis organized themselves into communities centered around khanqahs (hospices), led by a master (shaikh or pir).  
  • Sufis established silsilas (Orders of Sufi ) linking disciples to the God, and Sufi tombs (dargahs) became pilgrimage sites for spiritual blessings. 
  • Sufis practice self-mortification, zikr (remembrance of God), sama (musical recitals), and Fana-o-Baqa (dissolution of self for union with God) to induce mystical states of ecstasy.  
• Sufism in India: Al-Hujwiri was the earliest prominent Sufi in India, settled in Lahore, and authored Kashf-ul Mahjub.  
  • The 13^th and 14^th centuries marked the growth of Sufism, spreading messages of compassion and love for all, known as sulh e-kul. 
• Sufi Orders in India: By the 12th century, the Sufis were organised in 12 orders or Silsilas. Major Sufi Orders are: 
  • Chishti Order: It is the most influential Sufi order in India and was founded by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.  
    • Key persons associated with it were Akbar (follower of Salim Chishti), Qutbuddin Bhaktiyar Kaki, Baba Farid, Nizamuddin Auliya, and Amir Khusrau. 
  • Suhrawardi Order: It was founded by Bahauddin Zakaria in Multan and embraced luxury and state support. 
    • It combined religious knowledge with mysticism, stressing personal experience and inner purification for divine knowledge. 
  • Naqshbandi Order: It emphasised the primacy of Shariat and opposed innovations (biddat) and rejected Sufi traditions like musical assemblies (sama) and pilgrimages to saints’ tombs. 
    • Mughal emperor Aurangzeb followed the Naqshbandi Order. 
  • Rishi Order (Kashmir): It was established by Shaikh Nuruddin Wali and flourished in Kashmir during the 15th and 16th centuries.. 
    • It draws inspiration from the popular Shaivite bhakti tradition and being rooted in the socio-cultural milieu of the region.