Defence
The founder of the Virashaiva (Lingayat) movement in 12th-century Karnataka was:
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Answer: Option D — Basavanna (Basava)
Detailed Solution
The Virashaiva (Lingayat) movement in Karnataka was founded (or led) by Basavanna (Basava) in the 12th century CE.
About Basavanna:
- He was born in 1105 (or around 1131) at Bagewadi (Basavana Bagewadi), in the Vijayapura (Bijapur) district of Karnataka, in a Brahmana family.
- He became a minister (treasurer) in the court of the Kalachuri king Bijjala II at Kalyana (now Basavakalyan, in the Bidar district of Karnataka).
- He rejected the caste system, rituals, temple worship and the authority of the Vedas and Brahmanas.
He founded the "Anubhava Mantapa" ("hall of spiritual experience") at Kalyana, a gathering where people of all castes, including women and lower castes, discussed spiritual and social questions; it is sometimes described as an early form of a democratic assembly.
His followers carry a small linga (ishtalinga) on their bodies, worn in a small box tied with a thread around the neck or arm.
He composed "vachanas" (short prose-poems) in simple Kannada, expressing his ideas on devotion, equality and social reform.
NCERT on the Virashaivas:
- NCERT notes that the Virashaiva movement was initiated by Basavanna and his companions, Allama Prabhu and Akkamahadevi, in Karnataka in the mid-12th century.
- It argued strongly for the equality of all human beings and against Brahmanical ideas about caste and the treatment of women.
- It was also against all forms of ritual and idol worship.
- The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and the "pollution" attributed to certain groups; they encouraged post-puberty marriage and the remarriage of widows, and buried their dead instead of cremating them.
The end at Kalyana:
An inter-caste marriage arranged within the community led to violence, and the movement faced persecution; Basavanna left Kalyana and died at Kudalasangama.
Honours:
- His statue was unveiled at Lambeth, London, in 2015.
- The Karnataka government declared him the "Cultural Leader of Karnataka" in 2024.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Allama Prabhu and Akka Mahadevi were his companions.
- ✗Ramanuja was a Vaishnava philosopher.
Quick tip
Remember: Virashaiva/Lingayat founder = Basavanna (12th century; minister of Kalachuri Bijjala II at Kalyana; Anubhava Mantapa; vachanas; ishtalinga); companions = Allama Prabhu, Akka Mahadevi.
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Bhakti & Sufi Movements — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Bhakti & Sufi Movements, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Bhakti and Sufi movements emphasised personal devotion to God over ritual and caste. This topic covers Bhakti saints such as Ramanuja, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, Tulsidas, Surdas, Chaitanya, Namdev and Tukaram, and the Sufi orders (silsilas) such as the Chishti and Suhrawardi orders and their saints. Questions usually link a saint to their region, language, teacher or ideas, or ask which Sufi order a saint belonged to. For example, Moinuddin Chishti brought the Chishti order to Ajmer, and Kabir was a disciple of Ramananda. A table of saint, region and key teaching makes these questions easy. Practise the Bhakti and Sufi movements questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.