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UPSC CSE Prelims 2019

Bhakti and Sufi Movements

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Consider the following statements: 1. Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of Akbar. 2. Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: D

Concept Historical accuracy in the Bhakti and Sufi movements requires placing saints in their correct centuries and political contexts.

Explanation Saint Nimbarka lived around the 12th-13th century (Dvaitadvaita philosophy). Saint Kabir flourished in the 15th century. Akbar (16th c.) and Ahmad Sirhindi (late 16th-17th c.) came much later.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Statement 1 is incorrect. Nimbarka lived several centuries before the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
Logic 2: Statement 2 is incorrect. Kabir (died c. 1518) preceded Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (born 1564). Chronologically, Kabir could not have been influenced by Sirhindi.

Active Recall

Question

Which philosopher did influence Kabir?

Answer

Kabir was traditionally considered a disciple of Ramananda, though he was also influenced by Sufi ideas and the Nathpanthi tradition.

Core Insight

Timeline-based questions in UPSC often pair early Bhakti saints with later Mughal figures to test the student's sense of historical chronology.

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