Medieval India - Bhakti saints

 BHAKTI SAINTS

Qts1 Write about Shankaracharya

Shankaracharya was born in Kaladi (Kerala) in A.D. 788. He propounded the Advaita philosophy.

Qts2 Write about Nayanars and Alvars 

In South, the Bhakti movement was led by a series of popular saints called Nayanars and Alvars. The chief object of their worship was Shiva and Vishnu respectively. They spoke and wrote in Tamil and Telugu.

Qts3 Write about Lingayat or vir Shaiva 

In the 12th century Lingayat or Vir Shaiva Movement was organised. Its founder was Basava and his nephew Channabasava who lived at the courts of Kalchuri kings of Karnataka.

Qts4 Write about Ramanuja 

Ramanuja: In 11th century, Ramanuja tried to assimilate Bhakti to the tradition of Vedas. He argued that grace of God was more important than knowledge about him in order to attain salvation. The tradition established by Ramanuja was followed by a number of thinkers such as Madhavacharya, Ramananda, Vallabhacharya and others.

Qts5 Write about Ramananda 

 Ramananda was born in Allahabad but settled in Varanasi. He founded the Ramanandi sect. His disciples were: (a)Kabir (a Muslim weaver); (b) Raidasa (a cobbler); (c) Sena (a barber); (d) Sadhana (a butcher); (e) Dhanna (a Jat farmer); (f) Naraharai (a goldsmith) and (g) Pipa (a Rajput prince). 

Qts6 Write about Kabir 

 Kabir was brought up in Varanasi. According to him, Ram, Rahim, Allah, etc., were all the same. His disciples formed the Kabirpanthi sect. His songs are found in Adi Grantha. He condemned the caste and religious distinction and preached universal brotherhood.

Qts7 Write about Jnandeva

Jnandeva (1275-96 AD): He was progenitor of Bhakti movement in Maharashtra.

Qts8 Write about Namdeva

 Namdeva (1270-1350 AD): He was a Nirguna Upasaka. Some of his abhangas are included in Guru Granth Sahib.

Qts9 Write about Ekanath 

 Ekanath (1548 AD): He was opposed to caste distinction and evinced greatest sympathy for men of low caste.

Qts10 Write about Ramadasa

 Ramadasa (1608): He established ashramas all over India. It was from him that Shivaji received the inspiration to overthrow Muslim authority and formed the Kingdom.

Qts11 Write about Surdasa

 Surdasa (1483-1513 AD): He belonged to Saguna school. He was a disciple of famous religious teacher Vallabhacharya. He sang the glory of Krishna's childhood and youth in his Sursagar.

Qts12 Write about Tulsi Das

Tulsi Das (1532-1623 AD): He belonged to Saguna school of Hindu Mystics. He composed the famous Ramacharitamanas.

Qts13 Write about Chaitanya 

Chaitanya (1486-1533): One of the great saints of Krishna Bhakti cult and founder of Gaudiya or Bengal Vaishanavism.

Qts14 Mirabai

Mirabai (1498-1576): The Rathor princess of Merata and daughter-in-law of Rana Sanga of Mewar. The most well-known woman Bhakti saint of the Krishna cult of Vaishnavism.

Qts15 Dadu Dayal

Dadu Dayal (1544-1603): A Nirguna Bhakti saint belonging to the tanner caste who was born in Gujarat but spent his whole life in Rajasthan. Founder of the Dadu panth.

Qts16 Write about Sufism 

1. The word Sufi came out of the word Sooph meaning wool. Those saints among the Muslims who advocated a life of purity and renunciation were called Sufis.
2. Sufism sprang from the doctrine of Wahadat-ul Wajud or Unity of Being. This doctrine was propounded by Ibn-Ul-Arabi (1165-1240 AD).
3. One of the earliest Sufis and a woman saint Rabia of Basra who laid great emphasis on love as bond between god and individual soul.
4. The Sufis were organised in 12 order or Silsilas. The Silsilas were generally led by a prominent mystic who lived in Khanqah along with his disciples.
5. The link between the Teacher/Pir and his Disciple/Murid was a vital part of Sufi system. Every Pir nominated a Successor/Walt to carry out work.
6. The Sufi orders are widely divided into two-Ba-sahara that is those who followed the Islamic law and Be-Sahara that is those, who were not bound by it. In the Be-Sahara movement only two acquired significant influence. These were the Chisti and Suhrawardi Silsilas.

Qts17 Write about Guru Nanak 

1. Guru Nanak founded the Sikh sect. He started free community kitchens called Guru ka Langar. He was a mystic of Nirguna School and reflected the ideas of Kabir. He was followed by Guru Angad and Guru Amardas.

Qts18 Write about Ramadas 

The next Sikh guru was Ramdas. Akbar had a great veneration for this guru. Akbar granted Ramdas a plot of land in Amritsar on which the famous Sikh temple or Golden Temple was constructed.

Qts19 Write about Guru Arjundeva

 Guru Arjundeva (1581-1606) compiled the Adigranth. He helped prince Khusrau which incensed Jahangir, who killed him in 1606

Qts20 Write about Guru Hargovinda

 Guru Hargovinda (1606-45) gathered a small army around him. He defeated a Mughal army at Sangama near Amritsar. In 1634, he shifted his headquarters to Kiratpur.

Qts21 Write about Tegh Bahadur

After Har Rai and Harkishan, Tegh Bahadur became the guru who settled at Anandpur and was later executed by Aurangzeb in 1675.

Qts22 Write about Guru Govind Singh 

Guru Govind Singh instituted the custom of Baptism (Pahul). Those who accepted it were called Khalsa. He compiled a supplementary granth called the Daswen Padshah ka Granth. An Afghan at Nandur stabbed him to death in 1708.

Kapur Singh founded the Dal Khalsa.