Railway
The Sufi saint Mian Mir (1550-1635), a teacher of Dara Shikoh and a friend of the Sikh Gurus, belonged to which region?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option B — Punjab (Lahore)
Detailed Solution
The Sufi saint Mian Mir (Hazrat Mian Mir, 1550-1635) lived in Lahore, in Punjab, and is one of the most respected Sufi saints of the region.
About Mian Mir:
- He was born in 1550 in Sindh (Sehwan), and was a descendant of the second Caliph, Umar, according to tradition.
- He moved to Lahore at a young age, and lived there for most of his life.
- He belonged to the Qadiri order of Sufis.
- He lived a simple and pious life, and avoided wealth and the company of rulers.
- His teachings emphasised love of God, humility, simplicity and service to humanity.
His links with the Mughals:
- The Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan respected him and visited him.
- Prince Dara Shikoh was his devoted follower, and wrote about him in his biographies of Sufi saints; Dara's spiritual guide, Mulla Shah Badakhshi, was Mian Mir's disciple.
- Dara Shikoh built a tomb over his grave.
His links with the Sikhs:
- He was a close friend of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru.
- According to Sikh tradition, Guru Arjan Dev invited him to lay the foundation stone of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) at Amritsar in 1588, as a symbol of the temple being open to all.
- He is said to have pleaded with Jahangir for Guru Arjan Dev's life, and tried to help him during his torture, but the Guru refused his help, accepting the will of God.
- He is respected by both Muslims and Sikhs.
His shrine:
- His tomb (dargah) is in the Dharampura area of Lahore (now in Pakistan).
- An annual urs is held there.
The Qadiri order:
- It was founded by Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani of Baghdad (12th century).
- It came to India in the 15th century, and was popular in Punjab and Sindh.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Bengal, the Deccan and Kashmir had other Sufi saints.
Quick tip
Remember: Mian Mir = Qadiri Sufi saint of Lahore, Punjab (1550-1635); friend of Guru Arjan Dev (Harmandir Sahib foundation stone, by tradition); revered by Dara Shikoh.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Bhakti & Sufi Movements Questions
View all ›- Q1.Who was the founder of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy?
- Q2.The Shuddhadvaita philosophy is associated with:
- Q3.Amir Khusrau, the famous poet, was a disciple of which Sufi saint?
- Q4.Which Sufi saint is believed to have laid the foundation stone of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) at Amritsar?
- Q5.In which language did Tulsidas compose the Ramcharitmanas?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
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.