NAME: KHUSHBOO KOTHARI

COURSE: M.A ENGLISH

SEMESTER: 4

SUBJECT: HISTORY

PAPER CODE: G.E

UID: 1404220011

CLASS ROLL NUMBER: 18

C.U REGISTRATION NUMBER: 034-1211-0210-19

C.U ROLL NUMBER: 017/ENG/221018

TOPIC: COMPARISON OF MYSTIC SAINTS IN LIGHT OF THE

BHAKTI MOVEMENT AND SUFISM
CONTENTS

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Emergence of Bhakti Movement

1.3 Rise of Sufism

1.4 Comparison of Mystic saints in light of both the movements

1.4.1 Guru Nanak – Bhakti Movement

1.4.2 Moinuddin Chishti – Sufism

1.5 Interaction between Bhakti Movement and Sufism through the figure -

Bulleh Shah

1.6 Conclusion
1.1 Introduction

Religion in medieval India was a complex and dynamic phenomenon. Several

religions and sects coexisted and influenced one another. Hinduism underwent immense

change throughout this time. Buddhism collapsed. Sikhism and Islam were the two new

religions introduced in India. Religion influenced social, political, and economic systems as

well as the arts and education. In India and other parts of the world, the effects of mediaeval

religion are still felt today.

Among the multifarious religious, philosophical, social and political movements

which contributed to the formation of India and her culture, the Bhakti of the medieval period

(fourteenth to seventeenth centuries) was undoubtedly the most pervasive and persistent. In

the medieval period, Islam added to the spectrum of the diversity and variety of Indian

religions, apart from its ascendance to state power.

The medieval period in India saw the rise and growth of the Sufi movement and

the Bhakti movement. The two movements brought a new form of religious expression

amongst Muslims and Hindus. The Sufis were mystics who called for liberalism in Islam.

They emphasised on an egalitarian society based on universal love. The Bhakti saints

transformed Hinduism by introducing devotion or bhakti as the means to attain God. For

them caste had no meaning and all human beings were equal.

Another remarkable feature of the movement which gave it an unusual depth was

the participation of Muslims mainly through the Sufi sect. Though there were also Muslim

poets and mystics not connected with the Sufis, who also contributed to the non-sectarian

continental awakening, the Sufi input was significantly deep and enduring in the bhakti

tradition.
 It may be said that the Sufis were Muslim counterparts of the Hindu bhakts. This

does not mean the two were parallel streams with no point of contact whatsoever. It only

points towards the common origins of their inspiration.

1.2 Emergence of Bhakti Movement

The Bhakti movement began in southern India during the seventh century and

spread to the north by the twelfth century. The movement emphasized the devotional

aspect of Hinduism and rejected the caste system. Bhakti saints such as Kabir, Ravidas,

and Nanak emphasized that devotion to God is more important than external rituals and

that anyone, regardless of caste, can achieve salvation. They also stressed the unity of

God and that there is no difference between Hinduism and Islam.

A unique feature of the Bhakti movement, as also with Buddhism, was the

rejection of caste and gender hierarchy and its associated forms of discrimination. The

movement began in India with the rise of Hindu devotional cults, gradually spread throughout

the country, and lasted till the sixteenth - seventeenth century.

The Bhakti movement in India, by and large, was marked by the rejection of the

then existing ritual hierarchy and Brahmanical superiority'; the use of vernacular in

preference to Sanskrit (the language of the elite); and the emergence of the low-caste non-

literate' persons.

The notion of Bhakti as a movement is untenable because of other reasons too.

Even for its most radical thinkers, who combined Bhakti with social protest, the main aim

was to save an individual soul, not improve society and one has to agree with Savitri Chandra
that “it's objective was individual salvation and mystical union with God, rather than change

in the living conditions of the masses.” (Shobha, 1)

The Bhakti movement had an important part to play in the social context at

the time. According to Rekha Pande, “The Bhakti movement of the medieval period was

an idealistic manifestation of the socio-economic realities of the time.” (Pande, 230)

1.3 Rise of Sufism

The Sufi movement emerged in India during the eighth century and peaked

in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The movement emphasized the importance of a

personal relationship with God and that the ultimate goal of human life is to achieve

spiritual union with the divine. Sufi saints such as Moinuddin Chishti, Nizamuddin

Auliya, and Amir Khusro stressed the importance of love and compassion and rejected

religious formalism.

The origin of Sufism lay in mysticism (Tassawuf) and one could discern from

the very beginning two trends - natural mysticism and the esoteric. It is connected with the

mystic philosophy in Islam. “Sufism can be said to be a movement which aims at making

people good and better Muslims. It is a call to them to actualize truly and internally those

teachings of Islam they have accepted only formally or intellectually as part of their

inheritance.” (Faruqi)

An interesting feature of introduction of Sufism in India, as Nizami pointed

out, was that “it was introduced at the very beginning of the establishment of Muslim role

and the latter's rise and spread all over India. In other words, it developed in a period when
free thought and scientific research and development had been suppressed in west and central

Asia in the early tenth century.” (Nizami, 277)

The role of Sufis must be understood in proper social context in order to

better understand and appreciate their valuable contribution. Analysing the social role of the

Sufis K. Damodaran says: “Sufism was spiritual reflection of the growing social conflicts.”

(Damodaran, 304) The Sufis disliked the vices and luxurious living of the upper classes,

which violated the Quranic precepts of simplicity and the brotherhood of man. They saw that

Islam was becoming more and more subordinate to the state, and that the Ulema, the Qazis

and the mullahs representing religious orthodoxy were exploiting the Quranic doctrines to

uphold and justify a social system based on oppression. Their emphasis upon a pure life,

devotional love and service to humanity made them popular and earned them a place of

honour in Indian society.

The Sufis strive for and attest to having the experience of seeing God, whom

they call their Beloved One, face to face. The Sufis say that the Prophet and some of his

companions were totally absorbed in their prayers every time they prayed and that this

complete absorption in prayer is the foundation of tasawwuf. They invented a number of

ways for calling out the name of God—silently, loudly, and even accompanied by music or

the beating of drums—as a means of achieving their goal.

1.4 Comparison of Mystic saints in light of both the movements

In the course of the evolution of these forms of worship, in many instances,

poet-saints emerged as leaders around whom there developed a community of devotees. At a

different level, historians of religion often classify bhakti traditions into two broad categories:

Saguna (with attributes) and Nirguna (without attributes). The former included traditions that
focused on the worship of specific deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars (incarnations)

and forms of the goddess or Devi, all often conceptualised in anthropomorphic forms.

Nirguna bhakti on the other hand was worship of an abstract form of God. Some of the

earliest bhakti movements (c. sixth century) were led by the Alvars (literally, those who are

“immersed” in devotion to Vishnu) and Nayanars (literally, leaders who were devotees of

Shiva).

The Sufis were divided into different silsilahs (orders) with each silsilah

having its own pir (guide) called Khwaja or Sheikh. The pir and his disciples lived in a

khanqah (hospice). A pir nominated a successor or wali from his disciples to carry on his

work. The Sufis organised samas (a recital of holy songs) to arouse mystical ecstasy.

Introduced Dhikr, a central practice involving repetitive chanting of God’s name or sacred

phrases, believed to enhance spiritual awareness and connection with God.

The importance of the Bhakti and Sufi saints lies in the new atmosphere

created by them, which continued to affect the social, religious and political life of India even

in later centuries.

1.4.1 Guru Nanak – Bhakti movement

Bhakti movement was a socio-religious movement that opposed religious

bigotry and social rigidities. It emphasised good character and pure thinking. At a time when

society had become stagnant, the Bhakti saints infused new life and strength. They awakened

a new sense of confidence and attempted to redefine social and religious values. Saints like

Kabir and Nanak stressed upon the reordering of society along egalitarian lines. Their call to

social equality attracted many a downtrodden. The preaching of Guru Nanak was passed
down from generation to generation. This resulted in the growth of a separate religious group,

with its separate language and script Gurmukhi and religious book, Guru Granth Sahib.

During 10th to 12th century Rajput clans new to political scenarios needed

to legitimise rule through Brahmins. Rajput-Brahmin alliance formed dominant forces

where any opposing focus could not survive until Turkish invasion. It deteriorated Rajput -

Brahmin alliance and gave rise to non-confirming movements. Mediaeval Bhakti was

seen as a counterpart of Protestant Reformation in Europe which led to decline of

feudalism and rise of capitalism. Bhakti Movement in Mediaeval India did not call for

overthrow of existing ruling classes. They broke away from Brahmanical order and

unnecessary rituals.

Guru Nanak tried to synthesize all Indian religious traditions and diverse

Bhakti ideas. His famous book Guru Granth Sahib is a compilation of Nanak's teachings

and extracts from different religious Bhakti saints. Concentrated on studying scriptures

and gaining knowledge. Nanak's primary education was carried out by a tutor but

eventually he was made the in charge of the gramary under Lodhi Dynasty. Question of

Nanak's politics came to a point of political upheaval from Lodhi to Mughal Dynasty.

Being an apostle of unity and compassion, Nanak was opposed to dictatorial rulers and

oppressive regimes. He was against conquest of other countries. Apart from politics

Nanak's teachings were similar to Kabir. He believed objects of worship were omniscient

super powers for nature. The lord is beyond speech and sight - God is indivisible,

indestructible, cannot be measured in time or space. He denied concept of incarnation,

that God is beyond the cycle of birth and death.

He catered to monotheistic principle - God is one without any attributes,

Nanak was against the concept of avatars. No faith in hell or heaven. He believes
salvation has to be achieved within one's lifetime in order to achieve this. He considers

humans to be equal.

Guru Nanak’s personality combined in itself simplicity and peacefulness.

Guru Nanak’s objective was to remove the existing corruption and degrading practices in

society. He showed a new path for the establishment of an egalitarian social order. Like

Kabir, Guru Nanak was as much a social reformer as he was a religious teacher. He called for

an improvement in the status of women. He said that women who give birth to kings should

not be spoken ill of. His Vani (words) along with those of other Sikh Gurus have been

brought together in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs.

1.4.2 Moinuddin Chishti - Sufism

Sufism began as a spiritual revolt against the worldliness and materialism

that was witnessed by the Uned and Abbasid Caliphate. The origins of Sufism can be

traced in the early years if Islam during the 7th - 8th century.

Some famous figures of this movement include Bayazid Bustani, Hasan

Basani, Rabiya Basani led simple lives, basic goal of their lives was to attain union with

God through meditation and spiritual discipline. These early mystics eventually organised

themselves and this movement became institutionalised in the form of Silsilas.

Moinuddin Chishti was the most prominent figure who migrated to Indian

subcontinent inspired by the path laid down by Prophet Mohammad to spread the message

of Islam. He belonged to the famous school of wahdat al-wujud (unity of being) which

believes in unity of all human beings and its central theme is love. He preached and

popularized the teachings of the Chishti Silsila (Order) of Islam in India, also known as
Chishtiya. It was a Sufi Mystical Order of the Sunni Islam. He also founded the Khanqah

of Ajmer to help poor people. He emphasised the importance of music and poetry in the

path of God's realisation and encouraged millions of Muslims, Hindus, and other

religions, to accept the path of truth and unity.

“Sufism teaches how to purify one’s self, improve one’s morals, and build up

one’s inner and outer life in order to attain perpetual bliss. Its subject matter is the

purification of the soul and its end or aim is the attainment of eternal felicity and

blessedness.” (Valiuddin) The early Sufis, first and foremost, laid stress on the renunciation

of worldly pleasures. They also emphasized the fear of God and Judgement Day, and the need

to centre one’s thoughts on the fact that on the Day of Judgement one would be judged

according to his good and bad deeds.

He made Ajmer the main centre for his teaching. He believed that serving

mankind was the best form of devotion and therefore he worked amongst the downtrodden.

Among his disciples were Sheikh Hamiduddin of Nagpur and Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki.

The former lived the life of a poor peasant, cultivated land and refused Iltutmish’s offer of a

grant of villages. The khanqah of Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki was also visited by people from

all walks of life. Sultan Iltutmish dedicated the Qutub Minar to this Saint.

1.5 Interaction between Bhakti Movement and Sufism through the figure

- Bulleh Shah

The Bhakti and Sufi saints' interactions had an effect on Indian society. The

Hindu Upanishads and the Sufi concept of Wahdat-al-Wujud (Unity of Being) had striking

similarities. When explaining concepts, several Sufi poet-saints choose to employ Hindi

terminology instead of Persian lyrics.

 Like all other Muslims, Sufis believe that the Prophet Muhammad is the best

embodiment of their principles and ideals, and they attribute the origins of Sufism to his life.

Yes, a Sufi can find the ideal model for their life in the life of the Prophet of Islam. A life of

austerity, sincerity, surrender to divine will, intense devotion, introspection, nightly vigils and

prayers, closeness to God, divine inspiration, and unearthly visions are all described in the

traditions.

The pinnacle of Punjabi Sufism's pantheism was attained in him. His writings

are distinguished by the synthesis of Vedantic and Neo-Platonic pantheism. He never

engaged in proselytizing and never asserted religious supremacy. He is frequently praised as

Punjab's Rumi, having reached a spiritual pinnacle. He perceives God in Rama and Krishna.

Bulleh Shah reveres Muhammad as God's incarnation rather than as one of God's messengers.

It is comparable to the worship of Krishna by Vaishnavas. Dr. Mohan Singh and Dr. Lajwanti

concur that Bulleh Shah had some beliefs that evinced his strong influence from Hinduism

and Vaishnava Bhakti cults:

[i] Prophet Muhammad's worship according to the same pattern that the Vaisnavas use to

worship Lord Krishna

[ii] The spiritual guide's association with God

[iii] Wifely devotion

[iv] The discipline of concentrating on the Trikuti, regulation of breath and hearing of Anahat

Shabd (unstruck sound)

[v] Monism; and

[vi] Transmigration of soul.

Muhammad is not considered divine in Islam. He is merely God's servant.

However, Bulleh asserts that God [Ahad] himself manifested on earth in the shape of Ahmad
[Muhammad]. Bulleh, following the Vaishnava tradition, anthropomorphized the Immanent

element of God and associated it with the real Muhammad.

Hindus hold that past karmas determine one's fate. Muslims hold that God

decides fate at His own discretion. Bulleh claims that reciting sacred texts like the Quran and

Vedas is not the path to spiritual enlightenment. According to him, spiritualism is the union

of love—the foundation of genuine devotion—and faith that comes from orthodoxy. One

imagines God to be like a buried treasure.

1.6 Conclusion

According to some scholars, medieval Bhakti emerged as a response to the

invasion of Islam. According to K.M. Panikkar, “Bhakti.... provided calm to the bleeding soul

of Hinduism in Northern India during the period of Muslim Occupation.” (Panikkar, 9) Such

an estimate does not agree with the facts of history, for if Bhakti was a response to the

challenge of Islam, then we cannot account for the development of Bhakti in many regions of

India especially in the south, much before the Muslim invasion. Bhakti indeed was an answer

to a challenge, but not to the challenge of Islam. It owed its development to many important

changes in Indian society and culture. These changes occurred very gradually, sometimes in

different directions, and none of them can be defined as the only important one. Bulleh Shah

acts as a bridge between Islamic mysticism and Hindu religion; thus re-emphasizing that

there cannot be drawn a stark contrast between the two movements in light of the fact that

both Bhakti and Sufi movements advocated practices which ultimately would lead to spiritual

union and salvation.

Works Cited

Faruqi, I. H. Azad, Sufism and Bhakti: Maulana- Rum and Sri Rama Krishna, Abhinav

Publications, New Delhi, 1984.

K. Damodaran, Indian Thought - A critical Survey, People's Publishing House, 1967, p. 304.

Khaliq A. Nizami, Some Aspects of Religion and Politics during the Thirteenth Century,

1961, p. 277.

Pande, Rekha. 1985. The Social Context of the Bhakti Movement: a study of Kabir.

University of Hyderabad: pp. 230-235.

Panikkar, K., NM Survey of Indian History Bombay, 1954, p. 143; Krishna Rao, M. p. 105;

Joshi, T.D., Social and Political Thought of Ramdas, Bombay, 1970 pp. 5- 9.

Shobha, Savitri Chandra, Social Life and Concepts, p. 1.

Valiuddin, Mir,The Qur’anic Sufism, Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi 1959