Maarg Manthan · Topic 8.17

Sufism (Chishti, Suhrawardi Silsilas)

Art & Culture › Religion, Philosophy, Buddhism & Jainism · Topic 8.17

Sufism is the mystical tradition of Islam that seeks direct love and union with God through devotion, music, poverty and service. Sufi saints, called pirs, lived in hospices called khanqahs and organised their followers in orders called silsilas, of which Abul Fazl lists fourteen in the Ain-i-Akbari. The two major orders in medieval India were the Chishti, brought by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, who settled at Ajmer, and the Suhrawardi, brought by Bahauddin Zakariya of Multan. The Chishtis kept away from the state and used qawwali; the Suhrawardis accepted royal support.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Religion, Philosophy, Buddhism & Jainism

At a Glance

Nature Mystic tradition of Islam
Chishti founder in India Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Ajmer
Suhrawardi founder in India Bahauddin Zakariya, Multan
Terms Pir, murid, khanqah, silsila
Music form Qawwali, sama
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Religion, Philosophy, Buddhism & Jainism

Where Does It Fit?

This is the last topic of the macro on religion and philosophy. It closes the macro with the parallel mystic movement that grew beside Bhakti and added to the composite culture of India. Previous topic: kabir-ramanuja-chaitanya-meera-bai-basavanna/" class="maargx-auto-link" data-preview="At a Glance Kabir Nirguna, Varanasi, Bijak Ramanuja Vishishtadvaita, Srirangam Chaitanya Krishna bhakti, Bengal Meera Bai Krishna devotee, Rajasthan Basavanna Lingayat, Karnataka,…">Saints of Nayanars Two streams Saguna and Nirguna Language Regional…">Bhakti Movement (Kabir, Ramanuja, Chaitanya, Meera Bai, Basavanna). Next topic: vedangas-upanishads-puranas-smritis/" class="maargx-auto-link" data-preview="At a Glance Core corpus Four Vedas with Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads Revealed texts Shruti Remembered texts Smriti, Puranas, epics Support sciences Six…">Vedic Literature (Vedas, Vedangas, Upanishads, Puranas, Smritis).

How Do the Chishti and Suhrawardi Orders Differ?

Feature	Chishti	Suhrawardi
Origin	Founded in Chisht, Afghanistan; brought to India by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, who settled at Ajmer after about 1192 and died in 1236	Founded in Baghdad by Shihabuddin Suhrawardi; brought to India by Bahauddin Zakariya, who settled at Multan and died in 1262
Area	Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Deccan and the east	Multan, Sindh, Punjab and Bengal
Relation with state	Kept distance from rulers; refused grants and lived in poverty	Accepted royal gifts and state posts and mixed with the rulers
Lifestyle	Simple khanqahs with free community kitchens (langar)	Rich khanqahs, with land grants
Practices	Sama or mystic music, qawwali, love of God and service to all people	Emphasis on sharia and ritual along with mysticism
Key saints	Moinuddin Chishti, Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Baba Farid, Nizamuddin Auliya, Nasiruddin Chiragh-e-Delhi	Bahauddin Zakariya, Sadruddin Arif, Jalaluddin Surkhposh Bukhari
Later centres	Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Nizamuddin Dargah in Delhi, Pakpattan, Fatehpur Sikri	Multan and Uch in present Pakistan

What Are the Other Orders, Terms and Saints of Sufism?

Qadiri order: founded by Abdul Qadir Jilani; in India Shah Niamatullah and Mian Mir of Lahore are known, and Dara Shikoh was a follower of Mian Mir
Naqshbandi order: brought by Khwaja Baqi Billah; Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi, called Mujaddid Alf Sani, was orthodox and opposed Akbar’s liberal policies
Firdausi order: a branch of the Suhrawardi in Bihar, associated with Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri
Rishi order: Kashmir, linked with Sheikh Nuruddin Wali (Nund Rishi) and shaped by the local traditions
Al-Hujwiri: an early Sufi of Lahore, called Data Ganj Baksh, who wrote the Kashf-ul-Mahjub
Baba Farid: Ganj-i-Shakar, whose Punjabi verses are in the Guru Granth Sahib
Nizamuddin Auliya: lived in Delhi under several Sultans; Amir Khusrau was his disciple
Key terms: pir (teacher), murid (disciple), khanqah (hospice), silsila (order), wali (saint), sama (music), zikr (remembrance), dargah (shrine) and urs (death anniversary)

What Else Should You Remember?

Alternate names: Sufi comes from suf, wool; tasawwuf is the Arabic word for Sufism; Gharib Nawaz is a name of Moinuddin Chishti; Mehboob-e-Ilahi is a name of Nizamuddin Auliya
Doctrines: love of God, oneness of being (wahdat al-wujud, attributed to Ibn Arabi), service of the poor and tolerance
Early Sufi figures: Rabia al-Basri, Al-Ghazali and Mansur al-Hallaj, executed at Baghdad in 922 CE for claiming Ana al-Haq
Hanuz Dilli dur ast: the saying credited to Nizamuddin Auliya that Delhi is still far, as a warning to a ruler
Amir Khusrau: poet and musician of the Delhi Sultanate who is credited with developing qawwali, Hindavi verse and the sitar in tradition
Link with Bhakti: shared features of love, equality, vernacular language and music with the Bhakti Movement
Link with Islam: the faith background is explained in Islam
Music link: Sufi music shaped Hindustani forms such as khayal and qawwali, as in Hindustani Music (Gharanas – Gwalior, Kirana, Agra, Jaipur-Atrauli, Patiala)
Persian literature: Sufi poetry in Persian and Urdu is described in Persian Literature
Dargah culture: Ajmer Sharif Urs draws pilgrims of all faiths, and Akbar is said to have visited Ajmer on pilgrimage several times
Sheikh Salim Chishti: the saint at Fatehpur Sikri whose blessing is said to have brought the birth of Jahangir; his tomb is in white marble
Impact: Sufis brought many people of lower castes into Islam through ideas of equality, and strengthened Hindu-Muslim cultural exchange

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Order and founder: Chishti with Moinuddin, Suhrawardi with Bahauddin Zakariya
Comparison: attitude to the state and wealth
Persons: Baba Farid, Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusrau
Terms: khanqah, silsila, pir, sama
Common errors: calling Suhrawardis non-state, or placing Moinuddin Chishti at Delhi

As an analytical point, Sufi shrines show a shared sacred space in which people of many faiths seek blessing and music. The Chishti and Suhrawardi contrast also shows two ways of relating faith and power: distance from the state and engagement with it.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Compare Chishti and Suhrawardi
Persons Saints and disciples
Mains Composite culture

What Came Next?

This is the last topic of the macro on religion and philosophy; the next macro deals with language and literature. Next topic: Vedic Literature (Vedas, Vedangas, Upanishads, Puranas, Smritis).

Key People and Terms

Khanqah Sufi hospice
Silsila Sufi order
Pir Sufi teacher
Sama Mystic music
Urs Saint death anniversary
Dargah Sufi shrine

Study this topic together with these linked topics from other subjects.

Origins and Features of Sufism in Medieval India (Medieval History)
Sufi Silsilas – Chishti Order (Moinuddin Chishti, Nizamuddin Auliya) (Medieval History)
Interaction and Syncretism Between Bhakti and Sufi Traditions (Medieval History)

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Chishti: Moinuddin, Ajmer, 1236.
Suhrawardi: Bahauddin Zakariya, Multan.
Nizamuddin Auliya disciple: Amir Khusrau.
Abul Fazl lists 14 silsilas.
Chishtis avoided state patronage.

Do Not Confuse With

Chishti and Suhrawardi Distance from state versus acceptance of royal support
Sufi and Bhakti Islamic mysticism versus Hindu devotional movement
Pir and Murid Teacher versus disciple

Memory Hook

Chishti stays poor and plays, Suhrawardi sits near the court.

Mains Angle

Questions ask about Sufi contribution to composite culture. These points give a balanced frame.

Synthesis Music, language, shrines
Equality Appeal to common people
Politics Relation with the state

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Examine the contribution of Sufism to the composite culture of India.”

How to Answer

Orders Chishti, Suhrawardi.
Practice Music and service.
Impact Language and shrines.
Way Shared heritage.

GS Relevance

Prelims: Sufi orders, saints, terms, dargahs. GS Paper 1: Indian culture, medieval history, composite culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sufism?

Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam that stresses love of God, inner purity, music and service to people, and seeks direct experience of the divine. Sufi saints, called pirs, taught in hospices called khanqahs and formed orders called silsilas. In India, the Chishti and Suhrawardi orders were the most influential.

Who founded the Chishti order in India?

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti founded the Chishti order in India. He came from Central Asia, settled at Ajmer in Rajasthan after about 1192 and died there in 1236. His dargah is the Ajmer Sharif, visited by people of all religions, especially during the annual Urs.

What is the difference between the Chishti and Suhrawardi orders?

The Chishtis, led by Moinuddin Chishti and Nizamuddin Auliya, stayed away from rulers, lived in poverty and used music in worship. The Suhrawardis, led by Bahauddin Zakariya of Multan, accepted royal gifts and posts and gave more weight to sharia. Chishtis were stronger in Delhi, the Suhrawardis in Sindh and Punjab.

Who were the important Chishti saints?

The important Chishti saints are Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki of Delhi, Baba Farid of Pakpattan, Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi and Nasiruddin Chiragh-e-Dehli. Amir Khusrau, the poet and musician, was the closest disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya.

Why is Sufism important for UPSC?

Sufism is asked in Prelims through orders, saints, terms and dargahs, and in Mains as a part of the composite culture of medieval India, along with Bhakti. A table of Chishti and Suhrawardi differences and a list of saints with their disciples cover most questions.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti settled at Ajmer.

True

His dargah is the Ajmer Sharif.

2 The Suhrawardi order avoided the state and lived in poverty.

False

That is the Chishti attitude.

3 Amir Khusrau was a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya.