100 GK Questions on Bhakti & Sufi Movements with Explanations

100 GK Questions & Answers on Bhakti & Sufi Movements

🟢 Part A – Bhakti Movement (1–50)

Q: Who were the earliest promoters of the Bhakti Movement in South India?
👉 Alvars and Nayanars.
Explanation: Alvars were Vaishnavite poets, while Nayanars were Shaivite saints who spread devotion through hymns.
Q: Who is known as the ‘Saint of Bhakti’ in North India?
👉 Ramananda.
Explanation: Ramananda spread Bhakti in North India and accepted disciples from all castes.
Q: Who was Mirabai devoted to?
👉 Lord Krishna.
Explanation: Mirabai composed devotional bhajans for Krishna and defied royal family traditions.
Q: Which saint’s teachings are summed up as ‘Ramanand ke Das’?
👉 Kabir.
Explanation: Kabir, a disciple of Ramananda, rejected caste, rituals, and idol worship.
Q: Which Bhakti saint was a weaver by profession?
👉 Kabir.
Explanation: Despite being from a lower caste, Kabir rose as a respected spiritual leader.
Q: Whose followers were called Kabirpanthis?
👉 Kabir.
Explanation: His teachings evolved into a sect called Kabirpanth.
Q: Which saint was a disciple of Ramananda and a cobbler by caste?
👉 Ravidas (Raidas).
Explanation: Ravidas promoted equality and opposed caste divisions.
Q: Which saint is associated with the philosophy of Vishishtadvaita?
👉 Ramanuja.
Explanation: He emphasized devotion to Vishnu and equality among devotees.
Q: Who was the founder of the Lingayat Movement?
👉 Basavanna.
Explanation: Basavanna opposed caste system and rituals, promoting devotion to Lord Shiva.
Q: Which Bhakti saint spread Vaishnavism in Assam?
👉 Shankaradeva.
Explanation: He wrote devotional works and promoted Neo-Vaishnavism.
Q: Who was the famous female saint from Maharashtra?
👉 Muktabai.
Explanation: Sister of Dnyaneshwar, she composed Abhangas in Marathi.
Q: Who composed Abhangas in Marathi?
👉 Sant Tukaram.
Explanation: Tukaram’s devotional poetry focused on Vithoba (Vitthala).
Q: Which saint is credited with introducing Krishna Bhakti in Bengal?
👉 Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Explanation: He popularized the chanting of Hare Krishna.
Q: Who was Vallabhacharya?
👉 Founder of Pushti Marg (Path of Grace).
Explanation: He emphasized Krishna devotion through seva (service).
Q: Which Bhakti saint composed ‘Ramcharitmanas’?
👉 Tulsidas.
Explanation: His Hindi version of Ramayana made Rama devotion accessible to common people.
Q: Who preached ‘Advaita philosophy’?
👉 Shankaracharya.
Explanation: He emphasized monism and unity of Atman and Brahman.
Q: Who is called the first Bhakti saint of Maharashtra?
👉 Dnyaneshwar.
Explanation: He wrote Dnyaneshwari, a Marathi commentary on Bhagavad Gita.
Q: Who preached Nirguna Bhakti through dohas (couplets)?
👉 Kabir.
Explanation: His dohas carried deep social and spiritual messages.
Q: Who composed the Guru Granth Sahib compilation?
👉 Guru Arjan Dev.
Explanation: It included hymns of Sikh Gurus and Bhakti saints like Kabir, Namdev.
Q: Who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism?
👉 Guru Nanak.
Explanation: He preached devotion to one God and rejected caste and rituals.
Q: Whose philosophy was known as Achintya Bheda Abheda?
👉 Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Explanation: It means “inconceivable unity in diversity.”
Q: Which Bhakti saint is also considered a social reformer against untouchability?
👉 Ravidas.
Q: Who introduced Harikirtan in Bengal?
👉 Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Q: Which saint influenced Sikhism with his hymns?
👉 Namdev.
Q: Which saint was a great devotee of Vithoba in Maharashtra?
👉 Sant Tukaram.
Q: Who emphasized Jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga together?
👉 Dnyaneshwar.
Q: Who was known as the ‘Martin Luther of India’?
👉 Basavanna.
Q: Whose followers were called ‘Mahanubhavas’?
👉 Chakradhara (Maharashtra).
Q: Who is credited with spreading Bhakti in Gujarat?
👉 Narsinh Mehta.
Q: Who was the first woman saint of the Bhakti movement in North India?
👉 Mirabai.
Q: Which Bhakti saint said, “There is no Hindu, no Muslim, only God”?
👉 Kabir.
Q: Who composed Bhagavata Purana in Kannada?
👉 Narayan Tirtha.
Q: Which saint founded ISKCON’s roots (Gaudiya Vaishnavism)?
👉 Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Q: Who was the saint-poet of Rajasthan devoted to Rama?
👉 Dadu Dayal.
Q: Who composed ‘Vinaya Patrika’?
👉 Tulsidas.
Q: Which saint rejected idol worship but accepted formless God?
👉 Kabir.
Q: Who was a court poet of Akbar and a Bhakti saint too?
👉 Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana.
Q: Which Bhakti saint propagated the concept of Varkari Sampradaya?
👉 Dnyaneshwar.
Q: Who among Bhakti saints belonged to Karnataka and was a reformer?
👉 Basavanna.
Q: Who spread Krishna Bhakti in Odisha?
👉 Jayadeva.
Explanation: Author of Gita Govinda.
Q: Who was the great saint of Punjab before Sikh Gurus?
👉 Namdev.
Q: Which Bhakti saint composed in the Braj language?
👉 Surdas.
Explanation: Famous for Krishna bhajans.
Q: Who composed Sursagar?
👉 Surdas.
Q: Which saint is called ‘Bhakta Raj’?
👉 Ravidas.
Q: Whose teachings influenced Sant Kabir?
👉 Ramananda.
Q: Which saint was contemporary of Guru Nanak?
👉 Kabir.
Q: Who composed ‘Haridas Sangeet’?
👉 Swami Haridas.
Q: Who is credited for Krishna Bhakti spread in Brindavan?
👉 Swami Haridas.
Q: Which saint was also called Sant Eknath?
👉 Eknath.
Explanation: He emphasized Bhagavata Dharma in Maharashtra.
Q: Which saint said “Serve humanity, serve God”?
👉 Ravidas.

🟣 Part B – Sufi Movement (51–100)

Q: Who introduced Sufism in India?
👉 Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Q: Where is the dargah of Moinuddin Chishti located?
👉 Ajmer, Rajasthan.
Q: Which Sufi saint was called ‘Gharib Nawaz’?
👉 Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Q: Who was the founder of the Suhrawardi order in India?
👉 Bahauddin Zakariya.
Q: Which Sufi saint was known as ‘Mehboob-e-Ilahi’?
👉 Nizamuddin Auliya.
Q: Who was the famous disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya?
👉 Amir Khusrau.
Q: Which Sufi saint popularized music (sama/qawwali) as worship?
👉 Nizamuddin Auliya with Amir Khusrau.
Q: Which Sufi order stressed strict Islamic law?
👉 Naqshbandi order.
Q: Which Mughal emperor supported Naqshbandi saints?
👉 Aurangzeb.
Q: What was the central idea of Sufism?
👉 Love of God and service to humanity.
Q: What does the term ‘Silsila’ mean in Sufism?
👉 Lineage/order of saints.
Q: What is the disciple called in Sufi tradition?
👉 Murid.
Q: Who is regarded as the founder of the Chishti order in India?
👉 Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Q: Who introduced the Qadiri order in India?
👉 Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Baghdad origin, later spread in India).
Q: Who was Sheikh Salim Chishti?
👉 Sufi saint of Fatehpur Sikri, respected by Akbar.
Q: What is ‘Khanqah’?
👉 Sufi lodge for spiritual learning.
Q: What is ‘Langar’ in Sufi practice?
👉 Free community kitchen for all.
Q: Who was the disciple of Moinuddin Chishti?
👉 Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki.
Q: Where is the dargah of Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki located?
👉 Delhi (Mehrauli).
Q: Who was called ‘Shah-e-Hamadan’?
👉 Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (Kashmir).
Q: Which Sufi saint was associated with Bengal?
👉 Hazrat Alaol.
Q: Who spread Sufism in Kashmir?
👉 Sheikh Nooruddin Noorani.
Q: Who was Banda Singh Bahadur influenced by before Sikhism?
👉 Sufi teachings.
Q: Which Mughal emperor respected Sufis greatly?
👉 Akbar.
Q: What is ‘Fana’ in Sufi philosophy?
👉 Merging of self with God.
Q: Who composed Sufi poetry in Punjabi?
👉 Bulleh Shah.
Q: Who was Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai?
👉 Sindhi Sufi poet.
Q: Who was the saint of Gulbarga, Karnataka, in Sufi tradition?
👉 Khwaja Banda Nawaz Gesudaraz.
Q: Which Sufi saint wrote Fawaid-ul-Fuad (teachings)?
👉 Nizamuddin Auliya (compiled by Amir Hasan Sijzi).
Q: Who was the founder of the Naqshbandi order in India?
👉 Khwaja Baqi Billah.
Q: Which Sufi saint opposed music in devotion?
👉 Naqshbandis.
Q: Who introduced mystic poetry in Urdu?
👉 Amir Khusrau.
Q: Which Sufi saint’s shrine is at Gulbarga?
👉 Banda Nawaz Gesudaraz.
Q: Who was called ‘Hazrat Khwaja Banda Nawaz’?
👉 Gesudaraz of Gulbarga.
Q: Who compiled the sayings of Nizamuddin Auliya?
👉 Amir Hasan Sijzi.
Q: What is the term ‘Dargah’ in Sufi culture?
👉 Tomb/shrine of a saint.
Q: What was the main difference between Bhakti and Sufi movements?
👉 Bhakti emerged in Hinduism, Sufi in Islam, but both promoted devotion and equality.
Q: Who was Dara Shikoh’s Sufi guide?
👉 Miyan Mir.
Q: Which Sufi saint laid the foundation stone of Golden Temple, Amritsar?
👉 Miyan Mir.
Q: Who translated Upanishads into Persian under Sufi influence?
👉 Dara Shikoh.
Q: What is ‘Zikr’ in Sufism?
👉 Repetition of God’s name.
Q: Which Chishti saint was popular in Punjab?
👉 Baba Farid (Fariduddin Ganjshakar).
Q: Who wrote Punjabi Sufi poetry included in Guru Granth Sahib?
👉 Baba Farid.
Q: What is ‘Sama’ in Sufi tradition?
👉 Devotional music & dance.
Q: Which Mughal emperor banned Sufi Sama music?
👉 Aurangzeb.
Q: Who spread Sufism in Deccan?
👉 Banda Nawaz Gesudaraz.
Q: Who was known as Hazrat Nizamuddin?
👉 Nizamuddin Auliya.
Q: Who was the author of Siyar-ul-Auliya (biographies of saints)?
👉 Jami.
Q: Which Sufi saint taught universal brotherhood?
👉 All Chishti saints.
Q: What was the combined contribution of Bhakti and Sufi movements?
👉 They promoted harmony, rejected orthodoxy, emphasized love and devotion to God, and united people beyond caste and religion.

External Links for Reference

NCERT Class 7 – Medieval History Notes
Indian Culture – Sufi and Bhakti Movements (CCRT)
Wikipedia – Bhakti Movement
Wikipedia – Sufism in India