Sufism and Bhakti Movement

Sufism

Originated in Persia & spread to India by 11^th century.
1^st Sufi saint was Shaik Ismail of Lahore
Most famous Sufi saint of India was Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, who settled in Ajmer which became centre of his activities
His disciples were called Sufis of Chisti order [arr] Nizamuddin Aulia of Chisti order became a mighty spiritual force
Sufism stressed on Love & devotion as an effective & only mean of realization of God & attaining salvation
According to Sufism, Love of God meant love of humanity, they believed service to humanity equals service of God
Self-discipline was key to gain knowledge of God by perception
Sufism believed in inner purity not in rituals, they believed in brotherhood & in one God (Did not believe in class division)
According to them, one must have guidance of a Pir or Guru, without whom spiritual development is impossible
Sufism inculcated a spirit of tolerance among its followers
Sufism emphasized on Meditation, Good action, Repentance of sins, Performance of prayers, Pilgrimage, Fasting, Charity & Suppression of passions by ascetic practices
When Sufi movement was becoming popular in India, about the same time Bhakti cult was also gaining strength among Hindus.
The liberal & unorthodox features of Sufism had a profound influence on medieval Bhakti Saints

Born in Kaladi, Kerala
Followed doctrine of advaita / monoism (Non duality & oneness of God)
Faced reaction against his concept of Nirgunbrahamana (or God without attributes) due to emergence of idea of Sagunabrahamana (or God with attributes)

Born in Sriperumbur, Chennai
Advocated Prabhattimarga (or path of self-surrender) to God
Preached philosophy of vishishtavaida; According to which God is Sagunbrahamana
Taught that God is an inner substance & rest are his attributes, Hence God, Soul & matter are real
According to him, creative process & all objects in creation are real, not illusionary as depicted by Shankaracharya

Bhakti Movement

Propagated the philosophy of Dvaita, Dualism of Jivatma & Parmatma
According to his philosophy, world is not an illusion but a reality & God, soul & matter are unique in nature

Nimbarka	Propagated Dvaitaadvaita	Preachers of Vaishnavite Bhakti in Telangana region
Vallabhacharya	Propagated Shudhhaadvaita – Pushti marg	Preachers of Vaishnavite Bhakti in Telangana region
Surdas	Disciple of Vallabhacharya	Popularised Krishna cult in North India
Mirabai	Great devotee to Krishna	Popular in Rajasthan for Krishna Bhajans
Tulsidas	Worshiper of Rama	Composed Ramcharitmanas in Hindi
Gnandeva	Founder of Bhakti movement in Maharashtra	Wrote commentary of Bhagvat Gita called Gnaneswari (Maharashtra Drama)

Great apostles of Bhakti movement [arr] Helped common people to shed old age superstitions
Preached salvation by Bhakti & pure devotion
Did not linked themselves with any particular religious creed
Emphasized on fundamental unity of all religions & never believed in rituals & ceremonies
Condemned polytheism, denounced all type of idolatry & believed in one god.
Believed only Bhakti as a mean to attain salvation

Ram worshiper, born at Allahabad & originally follower of Ramanuja
Later he founded his own sect & preached his disciples in Hindi at Banaras & Agra (1^st time in vernacular language)
He strongly believed in 2 ideals, namely:

Simplification of Worship

Emancipation of people from traditional caste rule

He choosed his disciples from all sections of the society irrespective of any caste viz.

Kabir	Muslim Weaver (His verses are compiled in Bijak by kabirpanthis)
Raidasa	A cobbler
Sena	A barber
Sadhana	A butcher
Dhanna	A Jat farmer
Naraharai	A goldsmith
Pipa	A Rajput Prince

Born near Banaras; Borned to a Brahmin family but brought up by a weaver Muslim family
Was familiar with both Hindu & Muslim teachings
Regarded devotion to God with a pure heart as effective mean to attain salvation
Pure heart, according to Kabir, meant free from cruelty, Dishonesty, hypocrisy & insincerity)
His primary object was to reconcile Hindu & Muslims and establish harmony between them
Emphasized oneness of all religions by describing Hindus & Muslims as Pots of same clay.
To him Ram & Allah, Mandir & Mosque were the same
Denounced idolatry & rituals (Like Pilgrimage, Bathing in holy river, Namaz & Prayers etc.
Laid emphasis on equality of man before God

Born in Talawandi near Lahore, trained in accountancy [arr] Disciple of Kabir
Founder of Sikh religion & was highly practical & ethical [arr] His disciples were known as Sikhs
Denounced caste distinctions & rituals like Pilgrimage, Bathing in holy river, Namaz etc.
Emphasized on giving up selfishness, falsehood & hypocrisy and to live life with truth, Honesty & Kindness
He composed hymns and sang them to the accompaniment of the ‘Rabab’, a musical instrument.
“Abide pure amidst the impurities of the world” was one of his famous teachings.
Dedicated life to establish harmony b/w Hindu & Muslims

Born in Bengal & popularized Kirtan (or musical gatherings) of Krishna cult.
Though he was a Brahman he condemned the caste system and emphasized on the equality of all.
Renounced the world & became ascetic
Believed that through love & devotion, song & dance a devotee can feel the presence of God.

1600 AD (Eknath) [arr] Opposed caste systems & formed many lyrics & Bhajans.