What was the impact of Bhakti Movement?

Let's discuss the social and religious impact of the Bhakti Cult.

The Bhakti Movement created far-reaching effects and brought profound changes in the religious and social outlook of people. The Hindus had suffered a lot as the Muslim rulers wanted to enforce the Islamic laws on the Hindus. The Hindus wanted to heal their despairing hearts.

A ray of hope was brought by the Bhakti movement. There was a lot of caste and class distinction. Healing touch was required which could improve the conditions of the Hindus and build their inner strength.

Some Sufi Muslim saints came to India along with the foreign invaders. They emphasized the virtue of love and devotion to God. This helped to bring the two communities together as they spread the feeling of brotherhood and equality.

Which important factor popularized the Bhakti movement?

An important factor that led to the popularity of the Bhakti movement was that most of the preachers attempted to reconcile the differences between the Hindus and Muslims. Both Hindu, as well as Muslim saints, emphasized religious simplicity. The Bhakti saints condemned several social evils.

Social Impact of Bhakti Movement

The followers of the Bhakti movement rejected the caste distinction. The Bhakti saints preached universal brotherhood and emphasized the equality of all men. The movement tried to loosen the bond of caste. It instilled a sense of human dignity in the lower castes of people.

It also reduced the influence of some Brahmin priests by condemning rituals and sacrifices. The evil practice of �Sati� was stopped. The status of women received importance. Guru Nanak�s concept of langar is a wonderful step towards equality.

Religious Impact of Bhakti Movement

The movement aroused an awakening among the Hindus and Muslims regarding ritualism and superstitions. The feeling of appreciation of the differences between the thought and practices of the two religions emerged. Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, compiled the messages of saints belonging to different sects.

The teachings of Bhakti saints, like Kabir and Guru Nanak, brought the Hindus and the Muslims closer to each other. Their message of religious tolerance and respect for all religions brought remarkable improvement in the Hindu and Muslim relations. Ala-ud-Din Khilji, and Feroz Shah Tughlaq honored Hindu saints. Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq appointed Jain officers in his court. The Bhakti saints laid the foundation of the composite Indian culture.

Impact Of Bhakti Movement: Development of Languages and Literature

The language of the common man was used by the saints who could be easily understood by everyone.

What are the examples where the use of local languages is seen in the teachings of the saints?

Kabir used a mixture of languages. Surdas used the Brij dialect. Goswami Tulsi Das composed his works in �Awadhi�.

As a result, regional languages like Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, etc., developed. The rich literature of very high merit was produced by Kabir, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Chaitanya, Mira Bai, Surdas, and others in the form of hymns, couplets, dohas, and poetry. They also promoted the growth of devotional singing like Kirtan and musical instruments like Sitar, Robab, and Tamboora.

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