Origins:

The Bhakti movement started in the 7th Century-8th Century in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Later it spread to Karnataka,
Maharashtra, and it reached North India in the 15th Century. The Bhakti movement reached its peak in the 15th
Century and 17th Century.

Bhakti Movement started in South India, by Alvaras and Nayanars. Alvaras are the devotees of Lord Vishnu and
Nayanars are devotees of Lord Shiva. These devotees traveled to various places singing hymns in praise of their Gods.
Many temples were built that became sacred places of pilgrimage. Some of the causes of the rise in the Bhakti
movement are Evil practices in Hinduism, Fear of the spread of Islam, Caste systems, Complicated ritualism, Need for
the fulfilling method of worship and salvation. Some of the main principles of Bhakti Movement are given below God is
one, All men are equal, Give up caste practices, Devotion is more important than rituals.

South India Bhakti Movement

The South Indian influence on the Bhakti Movement describe a number of traits that are also seen in the Bhakti
Movement's progression through the northern half of the Indian subcontinent. 'The Saiva Nayanar saints and
Vaishnava Alvar saints of South India spread the doctrine of bhakti among different sections of the society irrespective
of caste and sex during the period between the seventh and the tenth century. Some of these saints came from the
"lower" castes and some were women. The saint-poets preached bhakti in an intense emotional manner and promoted
religious egalitarianism. They dispensed with rituals and traversed the region several times singing, dancing and
advocating bhakti. The Alvar and Nayanar saints used the Tamil language and not Sanskrit for preaching and composing
devotional songs. All these features gave the movement a popular character. For the first time bhakti acquired a
popular base. The South Indian bhakti saints were critical of Buddhists and Jains who enjoyed a privileged status at the
courts of South Indian kings at that time. They won over many adherents of Buddhism and Jainism, both of which by
now had become rigid and formal religions. At the same time, however, these poet-saints resisted the authority of the
orthodox Brahmans by making bhakti accessible to all without any caste and sex discrimination.

Alvars: It's a personalised religious attitude that focuses on intense devotion to a single god, Vishnu. Alvars are twelve,
including a woman saint, Andal. The hymns are collectively known as Nalayira Divya Prabandham (collection of 4000
Tamil verses). The Alvars condemned Nayanars in an attempt at the superiority of their God. Nammalvar, one of the
Alvars (seventh century AD), developed the notion of prapatti, complete trust and surrender, to be developed in
Srivaisnava theology from the twelfth century onwards. Some of the Alvars also used various images from day-to-day
life and connected them to the various Vaishnava myths. For instance, Periyalvar (ninth century AD) extensively used
the mother and child images connecting them to Yashoda and Krishna.

Nayanars: It's a personalised religious attitude that focuses on intense devotion to a single god, Shiva. Nayanars were
also known as Samayacharyas and were sixty-three in number, including a woman saint Karaikkal Ammaiyar. The
hymns are collectively known as Tevaram. The Nayanars condemned Alvars in an attempt to be superior to their God.
The Nayanars conceptualised Shiva as the warrior god, fighting battles and warding away evils. The local roots of Shiva
were highlighted by associating his achievements with specific sites, in this case, primarily the Kaveri valley, which was
the centre of Chola power.

But the South Indian bhakti movement had its limitations as well. It never consciously opposed Brahmanism or the
varna and caste systems at the social level. It was integrated with the caste system and the "lower" castes continued to
suffer from various social disabilities. There was no elimination of Brahmanical rituals such as worship of idols,
recitation of the Vedic mantras and pilgrimages to sacred places, in spite of the overriding emphasis on bhakti as the
superior mode of worship. The Buddhists and Jains were its main targets, not the Brahmans. This perhaps was also the
reason why the Brahman dominated temples played an important role in the growth of the South Indian bhakti
movement. Since the ideological and social foundations of the caste system were not questioned by the South Indian
saint-poets, the bhakti movement of the South in the long run strengthened it, rather than weakening it. Ultimately,
after the movement reached its climax in the tenth century, it was gradually assimilated into the conventional
Brahmanical religion. But despite these limitations, the South Indian bhakti movement in its heyday succeeded in
championing the cause of religious equality and consequently, the Brahmans had to accept the right of the "low-caste"
to preach, to have access to bhakti as a mode of worship and to have access even to the Vedas.

North India Bhakti Movement:

The 13th to 15th century was marked by many popular socio-religious movements in North India, East India and
Maharashtra, whose chief characteristics were the emphasis on Bhakti and religious equality. The Bhakti movements of
the Sultanate period were a continuation of the older Bhakti movement. It is believed that the ideas of Bhakti were
carried to the north by the old Bhakti scholars and saints, among which were Namadeva and Ramananda. There are
many similarities between the older Bhakti tradition of South-India and various Bhakti movements of the Sultanate and
Mughal periods. Like the South Indian Bhakti movement the Vaishnava Bhakti movements of North and Eastern India
and Maharashtra exhibited egalitarian trends in the religious sphere. But they never denounced the caste system, the
authority of Brahmanical scriptures and the Brahmanical privileges. Like the South Indian Bhakti, most of the Vaishnava
movements of the later period were ultimately assimilated into the Brahmanical religion, though in the process of
interaction. It is important to note that Bhakti in north India did not arise as the counterattack of Buddhism or Jainism
like south Indian Bhakti movement. In north India Buddhism and Jainism lost its eminent position much earlier but the
rise of Brahmanical rigidities surged the rise of Bhakti in northern India. Earlier, the socio-political and religious
authority in north India was mostly in the hands of Rajputs and Brahmans. After the Turkish conquest, the Brahmans
had lost their power, prestige and wealth following the defeat of the Rajput rulers and hence broke the dominant
“Rajput-Brahman Alliance”. As a result, movements such as the Nath Panthi Movement challenging the caste system
and the superiority of the Brahmans gained popularity. These coincided with the Islamic ideas of equality and
brotherhood preached by the Sufi saints and people were no longer satisfied with a religion that emphasized only on
rituals and ceremonies, rather wanted a religion which could satisfy their reason and emotion. These circumstances
helped to popularize Bhakti movement in India during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Popular Bhakti Saints of North India:

Kabir was a 15th-century saint born in a Muslim julahas (weavers) family near Benares. He is one the famous saint
during the time of bhakti movements in north India. Complete rejection of major religious traditions. He ridiculed all
forms of external worship of Brahmanical Hinduism and Islam, the pre-eminence of priestly classes and the Caste
system. Bhakti was the only route to salvation. He believed in a formless supreme God.

Tulasidas conceived God in the form of Ram. He composed Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi. He also founded the
Sankatmochan Temple devoted to Lord Hanuman in Varanasi. Started the Ramleela plays, a folk-theatre adaption of
the Ramayana.

Mirabai recognised Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu, as her lover. Her in-laws attempted to poison her, but she managed
to flee the palace and lived a wandering life singing songs with powerful emotional expressions. She became a disciple
of Ravidas – an untouchable leather worker who defied the norms of caste society. Composed numerous bhajans and
challenged the norms of upper castes. Her songs are continued to be sung by men and women, especially the poor and
the “low caste” in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Sufism:
It originated and developed in the Arab peninsula and spread into the vast Muslim empire, which the rulers established
after conquering many alien lands in Europe, Asia and Africa. Some famous central Asian Sufi saints were Ghazzali,
Rumi. Shaikh Ali Hujwari (1009-1072) of Data Gunj was the first reputed Sufi in India. Sufism in India got an impetus
during the 10th and 12th centuries with Muslim invaders and became popular during the rule of the Delhi Sultanate.

Sufism places emphasis on leading a simple life. Sufi saints preached in Urdu, Persian and Arabic etc. They emphasised
following God’s commands and the Prophet Muhammad’s example, whom they regarded as a model human being, to
find salvation through deep love and devotion to God. Sufis often propounded the idea of Wahadat-ul-wajud, i.e. unity
of all existence. They didn’t believe in narrow societal classifications such as caste. Their prime focus was on social
welfare. It led to the establishment of charitable institutes and the opening of orphanages and women’s service
centres. They developed the following elaborate training methods, which were performed under the guidance of a
master (Pirs). It included:

Zikr – Chanting of name/sacred formula

Contemplation

Sama – singing

Raqa – dancing

Discussion of parables (a short tale that illustrates a universal truth)

Breath control

Sikhism:

Guru Nanak Dev was the founder of Sikhism. His disciples were known as Sikhs. ‘Sikh’ means disciple in Punjabi.
Sikhism was born when there was a growing conflict between Hinduism and Islam in India. Guru Nanak is generally
portrayed as a reconciler of the two conflicting traditions. The Five symbols of Sikhism are Kesh or uncut hair, Kirpan or
a dagger, Kachha or a pair of shorts, Kangha or a comb and Kara or a steel bangle. The ten guru's of sikhs were: Baba
Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan, Guru Hargobind, Guru Har Rai, Guru Har Krishan,
Gur Tegh Bahadur, and Guru Gobind Singh.

Highlight and Conclusion:

Origins and Spread: The Bhakti movement in South India is often traced back to the Saiva Nayanar saints and Vaishnava
Alvar saints, who preached bhakti across different sections of society irrespective of caste and gender, during the 6th to
10th centuries. In contrast, while the South Indian Bhakti movement emphasized egalitarianism and emotional
devotion, the Bhakti movement in North India was influenced by various factors such as the decline of Brahmanical
power after Turkish conquests, leading to the emergence of movements like the Nath Panthi Movement challenging
caste systems.

Influence on Caste and Social Structures: The South Indian Bhakti saints criticized the dominance of orthodox Brahmins
and made Bhakti accessible to all, regardless of caste or gender. However, the movement did not explicitly challenge
the caste system, and Brahmin-dominated temples played significant roles. In North India, the Bhakti movement
challenged Brahmanical rituals and social structures, advocating for religious equality and often attracting lower castes
and artisans dissatisfied with their low status.

Philosophical and Ideological Developments: In South India, the Bhakti movement saw a philosophical and ideological
resurgence through scholars like Ramanuja, who provided justification for Bhakti while maintaining orthodox
Brahmanical principles. North Indian Bhakti movement also saw the rise of prominent figures like Kabir and Nanak,
who emphasized monotheism and human equality, contributing to the emergence of new religious traditions like
Sikhism.

Cultural Influence and Exchange: Despite geographical and cultural differences, there existed a significant exchange of
ideas between North and South India, particularly in the realm of religious and cultural practices. This exchange
enriched both regions and facilitated the spread of Bhakti ideology across the subcontinent.