📘 Class 12 History – Chapter 6
🌸 Bhakti – Sufi Traditions (NCERT / CBSE)
🔹 Background of Bhakti & Sufi Movement
- 🏰 Sultanate Period → Marked by struggle between Hindu & Muslim culture.
- ⚔️ Delhi Sultans spread Islam rapidly, destroyed temples & idols, forced conversions.
- 🔥 Mutual opposition grew → Hindus emphasized religious unity to protect dharma.
- 🙏 Reformers launched Bhakti Movement to remove evils of Hinduism.
- 🌙 Muslims emphasized Sufi sects, giving rise to Sufi Movement.
❇️ Bhakti Movement in India
- 🌏 Origin → Started with Alvars (Vishnu devotees) & Nayanars (Shaiva devotees) in South India.
- 📅 Spread between 800 CE – 1700 CE across South & North India.
- ✊ Criticized caste system & Brahmin supremacy.
- 👩🦰 Women saints like Andal & Ammaiyar gave new direction to society.
- 👑 Supported by Cholas, Pallavas, Chalukyas.
- 📜 Nalayira Divyaprabandham → Main compilation of Alvar saints (called 5th Veda in Tamil).
- 🕉️ Basavanna in Karnataka founded Veerashaiva / Lingayat sect.
❇️ Reasons of Bhakti Movement
- 🚫 Atrocities of Muslim invaders
- 😟 Fear of losing religion & caste
- 🌙 Influence of Islam
- 🏛️ Political organization
- 🕉️ Conservatism & traditional differences
- 💔 Disappointment among Hindus
❇️ Characteristics of Bhakti Movement
- 🙏 Monotheism (belief in one God)
- 🚫 Opposition to rituals, idol-worship & priesthood
- 🤝 Hindu–Muslim unity emphasized
- 💖 Service to humanity
- 📢 Preaching in local languages
- 👨🏫 Importance of Guru
- ⚖️ Equality for all (against caste system)
- 🔗 Cohesive & devotional nature
❇️ Objectives of Bhakti Movement
- 🔹 Reform Hindu society & religion.
- 🔹 Promote harmony between Hinduism & Islam.
❇️ Sufism (Sufi Movement in India)
- 🌙 Sufism → Mystic & liberal Islamic sect, born with rise of Islam.
- 🧵 Derived from “Suf” (wool) → Symbol of simple life (woolen robes).
- 📖 Known as Tasawwuf in Islamic texts.
- 📅 By 11th century, Sufism became a full-fledged movement with its own literature.
- 🕌 Khanqah (Sufi lodge/ashram) → Centre of Sufi life.
- Controlled by Sheikh / Pir / Murshid (guru).
- Followers = Murids (disciples).
- Deputies = Caliphs.
❇️ Teachings of Sufism
- 🙏 Monotheism → “God is One” (Ek hi Parmeshwar hai).
- 🚫 Renunciation of materialistic life.
- ☮️ Belief in peace & non-violence.
- 🤝 Tolerance (respect for all religions).
- 💖 Importance of love & purity of heart.
- 🌙 Preaching of Islamic values.
- 👨🏫 Significance of Guru–disciple relation.
- ⚡ Opposition to orthodoxy & rituals.
- 🌟 Prophet Muhammad described as Insan-e-Kamil (Perfect human).
- 📖 Quran interpreted with personal understanding.
🌙 Islam & Sufi Traditions
❇️ Islam
- 🕋 Islam → A monotheistic religion (belief in One God – Allah).
- 📖 Founded on the teachings of Qur’an (last divine book) delivered to mankind by Prophet Muhammad (last messenger of Allah).
- 📅 Origin → Arabia, 7th century CE.
🕌 Five Pillars of Islam
- ☪️ Shahadat (Martyrdom / Faith) – Belief in One God (Allah) & Prophet Muhammad as his messenger.
- 🙏 Salat (Prayer / नमाज़) – 5 times daily prayer.
- 🌙 Saum (Roza / Fasting) – Observed in the holy month of Ramadan.
- 💰 Zakat (Charity / दान) – Mandatory giving to the poor & needy.
- 🕋 Hajj (Pilgrimage / तीर्थयात्रा) – Journey to Mecca at least once in lifetime.
- 📖 Holy Book → Qur’an Sharif
- Written in Arabic
- Consists of 114 chapters (Surahs)
- Revealed to Prophet Muhammad (610–632 CE) through Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) in Mecca & Medina.
❇️ Important Sufi Orders (Silsilas سلسلہ)
- 🌿 Chishti Silsila (चिश्ती सिलसिला)
- 🌟 Suhrawardi Silsila (Golden Chain)
- ✨ Qadiri Silsila
- 🕊️ Naqshbandi Silsila
🔹 Silsila = “Chain” (श्रृंखला) → Refers to the spiritual link between Sheikh (master) and Murid (disciple), ultimately connected to Prophet Muhammad.
❇️ Sufis & Their Relation with the State
- 🕊️ Chishtis lived a life of simplicity & moderation.
- 🚫 Rejected unsolicited royal grants, but rulers gave tax-free land & charity to Khanqahs.
- 🍲 Accepted donations, but spent everything on:
- Sama gatherings (devotional music) 🎶
- Food & shelter for people
- Clothes & rituals
- ❤️ Their miraculous powers, devotion & scholarship made them popular among common people.
- 👑 Rulers sought their support & blessings to strengthen authority.
- 🕌 Some Sufi sheikhs received grand honorific titles → e.g., followers called Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya as Sultan-ul-Mashaikh (सुलतान-उल-मशायख़ – Sultan among Saints).
❇️ Sufi Language & Cultural Contact
- 🗣️ Chishti saints used local language (Hindavi) for preaching.
- ✍️ Baba Farid wrote poetry in Punjabi language, later compiled in the Guru Granth Sahib.
- 🎶 Some Sufi poets composed long poems → expressed love for God in human form.
- 👩🦰 Sufi poetry in Bijapur (17th–18th century) was often sung by women during household chores (grinding, spinning, etc.).
❇️ Sharia (शरिया – इस्लामी कानून)
- 📜 Sharia = Islamic law, based on:
- Qur’an (divine book)
- Hadith (sayings & traditions of Prophet Muhammad).
- ⚖️ Governs moral, social, religious & legal aspects of Muslim life.
✳️ Bhakti Traditions (NCERT / CBSE)
✳️ Meaning of Bhakti
- 🙏 Bhakti = Devotion to God → Ultimate aim = Salvation (मोक्ष).
- 📖 Derived from Sanskrit root “Bhaj” → means to adore / worship.
- ✊ Saints who opposed idol worship & incarnations were called Bhakti Saints.
- 🌟 Kabir & Guru Nanak Dev Ji → prominent saints of this tradition.
- 💡 Bhakti movement had a deep impact on Indian society (social, religious & cultural).
✳️ Differences within Hindu Traditions
✳️ Various Religious Beliefs & Practices
- 🕉️ Many gods & goddesses in texts & sculptures.
- 📜 Puranic texts written in simple Sanskrit → accessible to women & Shudras.
- 🌍 Local traditions merged with Puranic practices → e.g., Jagannath cult (Odisha), local wooden deity worshipped, later identified with Vishnu.
- 💑 Local deities often equated with Lakshmi (Vishnu’s consort) or Parvati (Shiva’s consort).
- 🎶 Devotional compositions (bhajans, kirtans) became main form of worship in Vaishnava & Shaiva sects.
✳️ Early Bhakti Tradition
- ✨ Historians classify into two types:
- Nirguna Bhakti (निर्गुण) → without attributes, formless God.
- Saguna Bhakti (सगुण) → with attributes, God in human form.
- 🌏 6th century onwards → led by Alvars (Vishnu devotees) & Nayanars (Shiva devotees) in Tamil Nadu.
- 🎶 They travelled, sang Tamil devotional songs, and identified sacred sites → later became temple centres.
- 📜 Nalayira Divyaprabandham (compilation of Alvar hymns) = called Tamil Veda.
- ✊ Both opposed caste system & Brahmin supremacy.
✳️ Role of Female Devotees
- 👩 Women had an honoured place in Bhakti traditions.
- 🌸 Andal (Alvar saint) → composed songs expressing herself as Vishnu’s beloved.
- 🔥 Karaikal Ammaiyar (Shaiva devotee) → chose path of severe penance, her works preserved in Nayanar tradition.
- 🎶 Women’s devotional literature challenged patriarchal norms.
✳️ Veerashaiva (Lingayat) Tradition in Karnataka
- 📅 12th century Karnataka → led by Basavanna (a Brahmin).
- 🕉️ Followers known as:
- Virashaivas (Heroes of Shiva)
- Lingayats (Worshippers of Shiva Linga).
- ⚰️ Belief → After death, devotee merges into Shiva, no rebirth (reincarnation denied).
- 🚫 Opposed caste system, untouchability, ritual pollution.
- 💍 Supported adult marriage & widow remarriage.
- ✊ Attracted people discriminated under Brahmanical hierarchy.
- 📖 Literature = Vachanas (Kannada compositions) by men & women saints.
🌙 Religious Boom, Islam & Sufism in India
✳️ Religious Boom in Northern India
- 🕉️ Lord Shiva & Vishnu worshipped widely in temples.
- 🏰 Temples built under Rajput rulers, dominated by Brahmins.
- 🔥 Brahmins performed yajnas & puja rituals; hardly challenged.
- ✊ But some leaders like Naths, Jogis, Siddhas opposed orthodox Brahmanism.
- 🗣️ They used local languages to express ideas, rejecting Vedic authority.
- ⚔️ Arrival of Turks impacted Hindu religion & culture.
✳️ Islamic Traditions
- ⛵ Arab traders came by sea to western India (1st millennium CE).
- 🏔️ Central Asian people settled in North-West India.
- 📅 After 7th century CE, region became part of the Islamic world.
✳️ Religious Beliefs of Rulers
- ⚔️ 711 CE → Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh, added to Caliphate.
- 🕌 13th century → Turks & Afghans established Delhi Sultanate.
- 👑 16th century → Establishment of Mughal Empire.
- 📖 Muslim rulers theoretically guided by Ulama & Sharia, but difficult due to non-Muslim majority.
✳️ Jimmis (Protected Non-Muslims)
- 🙋 Non-Muslims (Hindus, Christians, Jews, Parsis) = called Jimmis.
- 💰 Had to pay Jaziya tax in exchange for protection.
- 👑 Mughal rulers (Akbar, Aurangzeb, etc.) granted land & tax exemptions to Hindu, Jain, Parsi, Christian & Jewish institutions.
✳️ Islam in Popular Practice
- 🌾 Farmers, craftsmen, warriors, traders influenced by Islam.
- 🚶 Migrant communities often called Mlecchas (outsiders).
- 🙏 Many accepted Islam & followed Five Pillars:
- ☪️ One God (Allah) & Prophet Muhammad = Messenger.
- 🙏 Namaz (Salat) – 5 daily prayers.
- 💰 Zakat – Charity.
- 🌙 Roza (Saum) – Fasting in Ramadan.
- 🕋 Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca.
✳️ Development of Sufism
- 🌙 Early Islam → Sufis turned to asceticism & mysticism, opposing materialism of Caliphate.
- 📖 Criticized rigid Quranic interpretations → followed personal spiritual experience.
- 🕌 By 11th century, Sufism became a well-developed movement.
✳️ Khanqah (Sufi Lodge)
- 🕌 Residence & centre of Sufi saints.
- 👨🏫 Controlled by Sheikh / Pir / Murshid (guru).
- 🙋 Disciples = Murids; Successors = Caliphs.
- 💐 Mausoleums (Dargahs) became pilgrimage centres → Ziyarat (visits) on death anniversaries.
✳️ Sufi Silsilas (Orders)
- 🌿 Chishti Silsila (founded by Khwaja Abdul Chishti, made famous by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti).
- ✨ Qadiri Silsila (named after Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani).
- 🕊️ Naqshbandi Silsila.
- 🏠 Name “Chishti” → from Chisht (Afghanistan).
✳️ Life in Chishti Khanqah
- 🏡 Khanqah = social & spiritual hub.
- 📍 14th century Ghiyaspur → Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya’s Khanqah on Yamuna.
- 🍲 Langar (community kitchen) served food to all.
- 👥 Famous visitors → Amir Hasan Sijzi, Amir Khusrau, Ziauddin Barani.
- 🌸 Ziyarat (pilgrimage) to Sufi graves for spiritual blessings (Barkat).
✳️ Chishti Worship: Ziyarat & Qawwali
- ❇️ Ziyarat → Visiting Sufi tombs, seeking spiritual grace. Music & dance (Sama) used to create divine ecstasy.
- ❇️ Qawwali → Derived from Arabic Qaul (“to say”). Sung during spiritual gatherings.
- ❇️ Beshariya → Sufis not strictly following Sharia.
- ❇️ Basariya → Sufis who followed Sharia.
✳️ New Bhakti Marga in Northern India ✳️
❇️ Kabir
- 🕉️ Kabir was a poet-saint of the 14th–15th centuries.
- 📜 His verses were compiled in three different traditions:
- Kabir Bijak → preserved by Kabirpanth in Uttar Pradesh.
- Kabir Granthavali → linked with Dadupanth in Rajasthan.
- Adi Granth Sahib → included many of Kabir’s verses.
- 🌍 Kabir described the ultimate reality with names like Allah, Khuda, Hazrat, Pir (Islamic terms) and also Alakh, Nirakar, Brahman, Atman (Vedic/Yogic terms).
- 🧩 He accepted ideas from Vedic traditions, Yogic practices, and Islamic philosophy.
- 💬 Kabir’s thoughts crystallized through dialogue & debate (संवाद और वाद-विवाद).
❇️ Guru Nanak
- 🙏 Guru Nanak’s message is preserved in his hymns & teachings, where he promoted Nirguna Bhakti (devotion to a formless God).
- ✨ According to him, Purna (Rab) had no gender or form.
- 🎶 His thoughts were expressed through Shabd (hymns in Punjabi).
- 📖 Guru Arjan compiled the hymns of Guru Nanak along with Baba Farid, Ravidas, and Kabir → in the Adi Granth Sahib.
- 🛡️ Later, Guru Gobind Singh added Guru Tegh Bahadur’s compositions and gave the scripture its final name: Guru Granth Sahib.
❇️ Meera Bai
- 🎤 Mirabai was a famous woman-poet of the Bhakti tradition.
- 💖 Her songs were full of intense emotional devotion (गहन भावनात्मक भक्ति).
- 🌾 Her compositions inspired the poor and lower caste communities in Gujarat & Rajasthan.
- 🎶 Sankaradeva (15th century) was another key figure of Vaishnavism in Assam, spreading Bhakti through poetry, drama & songs.
