Hill Spring International School

Integrated Social Studies

2023-24

Name: Grade: VII

Date: Unit title: Religious Developments (Bhakti and Sufi
Movements)

 The Bhakti movement refers to the theistic devotional trend that emerged in medieval India.
 Sufism may be best described as a practice of asceticism, which through belief and practice helps
believers attain nearness to God.
 The Bhakti and Sufi Movements of Medieval India played a crucial role in creating a composite culture
whose legacy can be seen to this day.

What is Bhakti Movement?

The Bhakti movement focused on creating and sharing an emotional bond with the divine through devotion. It
can be defined as the wave of collective social revival in Hinduism that dealt with love and devotion to the gods
and goddesses through bhajans.

 Bhakti literally signifies “devotion” in Sanskrit.

 Rama, Ganesha, Krishna, and Shiva are considered to be incarnations of the divine in human form who
entirely offer themselves to the devotees seeking their help or are in need.

What is Sufi Movement?

Sufism isn’t a sect of Islam; it is a religious practice that reinforces the love for Allah through initiating a
personal experience by way of practicing it. The Sufi Movement concerned itself primarily with establishing
disciplined and simplistic ways of life.

 The word “Sufi” is derived from the Arabic root denoting “woolen cloak”.
 Sufism is one of the ideologies of Islam and instructs that Allah is a personal God Allah who values
every individual, and adores Muslims above all other religions.

The key Difference Between Bhakti and Sufi Movement is that while the Bhakti movement aims to
achieve social reforms through devotion to deities, Sufism is directed inwards into self-reform.

Bhakti and Sufi Movements Differences

In the table below we have given in detail the differences between Bhakti and Sufi movements

Differences Between Bhakti and Sufi Movements

Bhakti Movement Sufi Movement

Bhakti Movement was adopted majorly by the The Sufi Movement targeted the Muslims in the
Hindus of the country country

The roots of the Bhakti Movement can be traced The Sufi movement had its roots in the Arabian
back to medieval India; it became prominent starting peninsula and began in the 7th century, far earlier
in the late 7th to early 8th century than Bhakti Movement

The Bhakti Movement involved the hearty singing The Sufi movement involves singing and dancing to
of Bhajans in devotion to the Hindu deities religious Qawwalis dedicated to their god

The Bhakti movement is limited in its reach to India The Sufi movement covered many Islamic countries
only spread across continents

The scholars interpret Bhakti Movement as a wave

The Sufi Movement is a way of life and not a subsect
of renewal and revival in the social Hinduism setup
of Islam which is a common perception.
of India

Some pioneers of the Bhakti movement are Kabeer Some pioneers of the Sufi movement are Moinuddin
Das and Meera bai. Chishti and Amir Khusrau.

THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT- 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. The following people were pioneers
of the Bhakti movement in their respective states.

Founders of the Bhakti Movement

Below table gives a list of famous proponents of Bhakti Movement

Tamil Nadu & Alvaras (devotees of Vishnu) and Nayanars (devotees of Shiva)
Kerala

Karnataka Basavanna, Akkamahadevi, Allama Prabhu

Maharashtra Jnanadev, Namdev, and Tukaram

Northern India Ramananda, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Guru Nanak, Kabir Das, Ravi Das,
 Nanak, Meerabai

How did the Bhakti Movement start?

Bhakti Movement started from South India, by Alvaras and Nayanars. Alvaras are the devotees of Lord Vishnu
and Nayanars are devotees of Lord Shiva. These devotees travelled 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 given below.

1. Evil practices in Hinduism

2. Fear of spread of Islam
3. Caste systems
4. Complicated ritualism
5. Need for fulfilling method of worship and salvation.

What was the main principle of Bhakti Movement? Some of the main principles of Bhakti Movement are
given below:

1. God is one
2. All men are equal
3. Give up caste practices
4. Devotion is more important than rituals.
5. Serving humanity is a form of worship to God
6. Encouraging the abandonment of superstitious practices.
7. Bhakti saints travelled to different regions, composing poems,

What are the effects of the Bhakti Movement?

1. Introduced Social giving like Seva

2. Introduced dana (charity)
3. Community kitchens with free food.
4. Believed in Non-violence (Ahimsa)
5. Helping poor farmers and feeding poor people.
6. Providing free hostels for poor people
7. Promoting folk culture.
SUFI MOVEMENT-
Sufism is an important concept that influenced religion in India in the medieval ages. There are many Sufi
saints whose Dargahs still attract people from all over the country irrespective of their religious affiliation.
Sufism is a mystical form of Islam, a school of practice that focuses on the spiritual search for God and shuns
materialism. It is a form of Islamic mysticism which stresses asceticism. There is a lot of emphasis on love and
devotion towards God. There are many schools of Sufism all over the world and in India too. Most of them
trace their lineage to early Islamic history, from the time of Prophet Muhammad himself.

The term ‘Sufi’ is probably derived from the Arabic word ‘suf’ which means ‘one who wears wool’. This is
because woolen clothes were generally associated with ascetics. Another possible origin of the word is ‘safa’
which means purity in Arabic. The other terms for the Sufi are Wali, Faqir and Darwesh.

Impact of Sufism

The liberal and unorthodox elements of Sufism had a profound impact on medieval Bhakti saints. In the later
period, the Sufi doctrines influenced the religious perspective of the rulers along with reminding them of their
moral obligations. For example, the Mughal Emperor, Akbar’s religious outlook and religious policies were
shaped a lot under Sufism.

1. Sufism influenced both rural and urban regions and had a deep political, cultural and social influence on
the masses. Spiritual bliss became the ultimate aim and the people could raise their voice against all
forms of orthodoxy, falsehood, religious formalism and hypocrisy. In a world torn by strife and conflict,
the Sufis tried to bring peace and harmony.
2. The most important contribution of Sufism is that it helped to develop a bond of solidarity and
brotherhood between Hindu and Muslim communities. The Sufi saints are revered not only by Muslims
but also by a huge number of Hindus and their tombs have become a common place of pilgrimage for
both communities.