Q11. Ramanuja wrote a highly influential commentary on the Brahma Sutras. What is the name of this famous philosophical text?
Bhakti and Sufi Movements: RAS Prelims MCQs
65 RAS Prelims MCQs on the Bhakti and Sufi movements cover the causes of Bhakti, the Tamil traditions, the great philosophers, Maharashtra’s Varkari saints, Kabir and Ramananda, and the Sufi orders. The explanations give the founder, philosophy and text of each school so that the pairs are easy to recall.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 11–20 of 65 questions
Q12. A seeker follows a philosophy which states that God (Brahman) is the ultimate reality, but the souls (Chit) and the universe (Achit) are its real, inseparable attributes, much like the body is to the soul. Which philosophy is the seeker following?
Explanation
The seeker is following a school of thought that describes the relationship between God and the world using the soul-body analogy. In this perspective, while the divine is the ultimate reality, the individual souls and the physical universe are real and inseparable attributes of that reality. This approach allows for a meaningful relationship between the devotee and a personal, attribute-filled God.
Q13. Consider the following statements about Madhvacharya:
I. He was the chief proponent of the Dvaita (Dualism) school of Vedanta.
II. He asserted that the individual soul (Jiva) and God (Brahman) are eternally distinct.
III. He established the Krishna Mutt in Udupi.
IV. He believed that the physical world is an illusion (Maya) and has no real existence.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
I. He was the chief proponent of the Dvaita (Dualism) school of Vedanta.
II. He asserted that the individual soul (Jiva) and God (Brahman) are eternally distinct.
III. He established the Krishna Mutt in Udupi.
IV. He believed that the physical world is an illusion (Maya) and has no real existence.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
The proponent of dualism established a system that emphasizes the eternal distinction between the individual soul and the supreme divine. He founded a major religious center in Udupi and asserted that the physical world is a real creation, not a mere illusion. His theology maintains that while the world is real and separate, it remains entirely dependent on the will of God.
Q14. The philosophy of Dvaita, formulated by Madhvacharya, is also commonly known in philosophical literature by which of the following terms?
Explanation
The philosophy of dualism is frequently referred to in academic and religious circles by a term that signifies the "philosophy of reality." This name emphasizes the school’s core belief that the world, individual souls, and the supreme divine are all fundamentally real and distinct entities. This perspective stands in direct opposition to non-dualistic theories that view the material world as illusory.
Q15. Which of the following is not a recognized feature of Madhvacharya’s theology?
Explanation
The dualistic theology of this school is centered entirely on the supremacy of Lord Vishnu, who is viewed as the ultimate creator and sustainer. The system classifies souls based on their spiritual destiny and insists on the fundamental difference between the creator and his creation.
Q16. Consider the following lists regarding prominent disciples of Ramananda and their traditional social backgrounds:
Which of the following is the correctly matched code?
| Disciples | Social Backgrounds |
|---|---|
| A. Kabir | i. Barber |
| B. Ravidas | ii. Peasant |
| C. Sena | iii. Weaver |
| D. Dhanna | iv. Cobbler |
Explanation
Kabir was a weaver, Ravidas a cobbler, Sena a barber and Dhanna a peasant. The disciples of Ramananda came from many castes. This gives A-iii, B-iv, C-i, D-ii.
Q17. Consider the following statements regarding Ramananda:
I. He originally belonged to the Sri Vaishnava sect founded by Ramanuja.
II. He shifted the focus of devotion from Lord Vishnu to Lord Rama.
III. He used Sanskrit exclusively to preach his teachings in North India.
IV. He fundamentally acted as a bridge between the Bhakti traditions of South and North India.
V. He opened the doors of Bhakti to people of all castes and even women.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?
I. He originally belonged to the Sri Vaishnava sect founded by Ramanuja.
II. He shifted the focus of devotion from Lord Vishnu to Lord Rama.
III. He used Sanskrit exclusively to preach his teachings in North India.
IV. He fundamentally acted as a bridge between the Bhakti traditions of South and North India.
V. He opened the doors of Bhakti to people of all castes and even women.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?
Explanation
Ramananda came from the Sri Vaishnava sect, turned the focus of devotion to Rama, bridged South and North Indian Bhakti and opened it to all castes and women. He preached in the local vernacular, not in Sanskrit alone, so III is incorrect.
Q18. Which of the following statements most accurately describes Ramananda’s role as a bridge between South and North India?
Explanation
Ramananda carried Southern Bhakti devotion to the North and used the local vernacular to preach, which made it reach ordinary people.
Q19. Consider the following statements about Kabir:
I. He was a champion of Saguna Bhakti and worshipped Lord Rama as a human incarnation.
II. He vehemently condemned empty rituals, idol worship, and caste distinctions in both Hinduism and Islam.
III. His teachings were expressed through short, easily understandable poems known as dohas.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
I. He was a champion of Saguna Bhakti and worshipped Lord Rama as a human incarnation.
II. He vehemently condemned empty rituals, idol worship, and caste distinctions in both Hinduism and Islam.
III. His teachings were expressed through short, easily understandable poems known as dohas.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
Kabir condemned empty rituals, idol worship and caste distinctions in both Hinduism and Islam, and he taught through short poems called dohas. He was not a Saguna bhakta, because he worshipped a formless God, so I is wrong.
Q20. Consider the following statements:
Statement I: Kabir’s teachings drew significantly from both the Vedanta philosophy and Islamic Sufism.
Statement II: Kabir believed that Allah and Rama were simply different names for the same singular, formless Supreme Being.
Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Statement I: Kabir’s teachings drew significantly from both the Vedanta philosophy and Islamic Sufism.
Statement II: Kabir believed that Allah and Rama were simply different names for the same singular, formless Supreme Being.
Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Explanation
Kabir’s teaching drew on both Vedanta and Sufism, and he held that Allah and Rama were different names of the same formless Supreme Being. Both statements are correct.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 11 | (b) Sri Bhashya |
| 12 | (c) Vishishtadvaita |
| 13 | (a) I, II, and III only |
| 14 | (b) Tattvavada |
| 15 | (b) The complete rejection of Lord Vishnu as the Supreme Being. |
| 16 | (a) A-iii, B-iv, C-i, D-ii |
| 17 | (b) III only |
| 18 | (d) He brought the Southern devotion to the North using the local vernacular. |
| 19 | (b) II and III only |
| 20 | (a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct |
Key facts from Bhakti and Sufi Movements
- The Bhakti movement grew from caste rigidity and the exclusive nature of Vedic ritual, and stressed a personal bond between devotee and God.
- Tirumurai is a twelve-volume collection of Tamil Shaiva devotional poetry.
- Ramanuja wrote the Sri Bhashya on the Brahma Sutras and taught Vishishtadvaita; Madhvacharya taught Dvaita, also called Tattvavada.
- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu taught Achintya Bheda Abheda and spent his later years at Puri.
- The Varkari saints of Maharashtra sang Abhangas; Sant Eknath wrote a commentary on the Bhagavata Purana.
- Kabir’s verses are preserved in the Bijak; the order of the Bhakti leaders is Ramanuja, Madhvacharya, Ramananda, Kabir.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Bhakti and Sufi Movements?
This page has 65 practice MCQs on Bhakti and Sufi Movements (Medieval Indian History). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
What is Vishishtadvaita?
The philosophy of Ramanuja, which holds that Brahman is the ultimate reality, but souls and matter are real parts of Brahman and are distinct from it. It is called qualified non-dualism, and Ramanuja’s Sri Bhashya on the Brahma Sutras explains it.
What is Tirumurai?
A twelve-volume collection of Tamil Shaiva devotional poetry, compiled in the Chola period from the hymns of the Nayanars. It is the Shaiva counterpart of the Alvars’ Vaishnava hymns, and the two together shaped Tamil Bhakti.
Where are Kabir’s teachings preserved?
In the Bijak, the most famous compilation of his verses. Kabir taught devotion to a formless God and criticised idol worship, ritual and caste in both Hinduism and Islam, using short dohas that ordinary people could remember.