Bhakti Movement – UGC NET History – Practice Questions

Introduction

1. The term ‘Bhakti’ in medieval Indian cultural history primarily symbolises:
A. Ritual sacrifice
B. Ascetic renunciation
C. Political obedience
D. Devotion or passionate love for the Divine

2. Which among the following best reflects the Vedic conception related to salvation?
A. Moksha through precise performance of rituals
B. Moksha through idol worship alone
C. Moksha through temple construction
D. Moksha through rejection of gods

3. The process of ‘adoration of a personal god’ began prominently during:
A. 2nd century BCE
B. 6th century BCE
C. 8th century CE
D. 12th century CE

4. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer.

A- A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
B- A-II, B-I, C-III, D-IV
C- A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
D- A-I, B-II, C-IV, D-III

5. Which Buddhist sect popularised the worship of Buddha in his Avalokita form?
A. Hinayana
B. Vajrayana
C. Mahayana
D. Theravada

6. Assertion (A): Bhakti saints generally preached in local vernacular languages.
Reason (R): They aimed to make religion accessible to common people beyond elite Sanskrit traditions.

A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
C. A is true but R is false
D. A is false but R is true

7. The Gupta rulers popularised the worship of which among the following deities?
A. Brahma, Indra, Agni
B. Surya, Ganesha, Kartikeya
C. Buddha, Mahavira, Vishnu
D. Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti

8. The Bhakti Movement as a popular social movement had its genesis in:
A. Southern India between 7th–12th centuries CE
B. Bengal during the Sena rule
C. Kashmir during the Karkota dynasty
D. Gujarat during the Solanki rule

9. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer.

A- A-I, B-II, C-IV, D-III
B- A-II, B-III, C-I, D-IV
C- A-IV, B-II, C-I, D-III
D- A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV

10. Which of the following was NOT a characteristic feature of the Bhakti saints?
A. Encouragement to women’s participation
B. Emphasis on rigid caste hierarchy
C. Use of vernacular languages
D. Open participation irrespective of caste

11. Who among the following collected the hymns of Nayanars into the Tevaram?
A. Ramanuja
B. Nambi Andar Nambi
C. Basavanna
D. Madhvacharya

12. Assertion (A): Bhakti saints rejected ritualism as the sole means of salvation.
Reason (R): They argued that devotion alone could lead to Moksha.

A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
C. A is true but R is false
D. A is false but R is true

13. The literary compilation ‘Divya Prabandha’ is associated with:
A. Shaiva literature
B. Buddhist literature
C. Vaishnava devotional hymns
D. Jain religious texts

14. The Bhakti Movement in South India was primarily propagated by:
A. Alvars and Nayanars
B. Siddhas and Nathpanthis
C. Sufi saints
D. Jain monks

15. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer.

A- A-IV, B-III, C-II, D-I
B- A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
C- A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
D- A-III, B-IV, C-I, D-II

16. Which among the following medieval trends contributed significantly to religious equality?
A. Growth of land grants
B. Expansion of feudalism
C. Court patronage of Sanskrit
D. Bhakti Movement

17. The Nayanars were devoted primarily to:
A. Vishnu
B. Shiva
C. Buddha
D. Mahavira

18. Assertion (A): The Bhakti Movement was entirely an anti-Hindu movement.
Reason (R): It rejected all forms of worship related to Hindu traditions.

A. Both A and R are true
B. Both A and R are false
C. A is false but R is true
D. A is false and R is also false

19. The Alvars were associated mainly with which linguistic region?
A. Tamil region
B. Kannada region
C. Bengali region
D. Marathi region

20. Which among the following dynasties supported Bhakti poet-saints in South India?
A. Satavahanas, Guptas, Kushanas
B. Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, Paramaras
C. Mauryas, Sungas, Kanvas
D. Pallavas, Pandyas and Cholas

21. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer.

A- A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
B- A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
C- A-III, B-IV, C-I, D-II
D- A-IV, B-III, C-II, D-I

22. The Bhakti Movement opposed the austerities mainly associated with:
A. Ajivikas and Charvakas
B. Buddhists and Jains
C. Shaivas and Vaishnavas
D. Sufis and Sikhs

23. Which among the following is correctly paired?
A. Tevaram – Vishnu hymns
B. Divya Prabandha – Buddhist texts
C. Nayanars – Shiva devotion
D. Alvars – Jain saints

24. Assertion (A): Bhakti saints encouraged women to participate in devotional gatherings.
Reason (R): Bhakti ideology promoted broad-based participation beyond caste and gender distinctions.

A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
C. A is true but R is false
D. A is false but R is true

25. The phrase ‘silent revolution’ in medieval India is often associated with:
A. Sufi silsilas
B. Temple architecture
C. Agrarian expansion
D. Bhakti Movement

26. Which among the following was worshipped as ‘the cosmic king’ in Gupta ideology?
A. Shiva
B. Vishnu
C. Brahma
D. Indra

27. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer.

A- A-IV, B-III, C-II, D-I
B- A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
C- A-II, B-I, C-III, D-IV
D- A-I, B-II, C-IV, D-III

28. Which one of the following best describes the Bhakti path to salvation?
A. Through Vedic sacrifices only
B. Through strict social hierarchy
C. Through priestly mediation alone
D. Through simple devotion to the Divine

29. The three prominent Nayanar saints referred to in the passage are:
A. Nanachampantar, Appar and Chuntaramurtti
B. Basava, Allama and Akka Mahadevi
C. Ramanuja, Madhva and Vallabha
D. Kabir, Ravidas and Namdev

30. Assertion (A): Bhakti literature weakened the dominance of ritual-oriented religion.
Reason (R): It rooted salvation exclusively in devotion.

A. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation
B. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation
C. A is true but R is false
D. A is false but R is true

31. Which of the following statements about Alvars is correct?
A. They were Jain monks
B. They promoted Vedic sacrifices
C. They were Vaishnava poet-saints
D. They composed Tevaram

32. Bhakti ideas were carried to North India mainly through:
A. Military invasions
B. Scholars and saints
C. Trade guilds
D. Buddhist monasteries

33. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer.

A- A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
B- A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
C- A-III, B-IV, C-I, D-II
D- A-IV, B-III, C-II, D-I

34. The Bhakti saints mostly emerged from:
A. Royal families
B. Brahmin elites only
C. Merchant guilds
D. Lower castes

35. Which among the following is NOT correctly matched?
A. Alvars – Vishnu devotion
B. Nayanars – Shiva devotion
C. Divya Prabandha – Nayanar hymns
D. Tevaram – Shaiva hymns

36. Assertion (A): The Bhakti Movement challenged rigid caste distinctions.
Reason (R): Bhakti saints allowed participation irrespective of caste or creed.

A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation
C. A is true but R is false
D. A is false but R is true

37. The feminine counterpart of Shiva in Gupta religious ideology was:
A. Lakshmi
B. Shakti
C. Saraswati
D. Durga

38. The Bhakti literature of the Alvars contributed to:
A. Revival of Vedic ritualism
B. Strengthening Brahmanical exclusivity
C. Establishment of devotion as the path to salvation
D. Growth of monastic Buddhism

39. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer.

A- A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
B- A-III, B-II, C-I, D-IV
C- A-IV, B-III, C-II, D-I
D- A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV

40. Which medieval development most encouraged local-language religious traditions?
A. Persian court chronicles
B. Expansion of iqta system
C. Brahmadeya grants
D. Bhakti saints’ vernacular preaching

41. The term ‘Tevaram’ refers to:
A. Anthology of Shaiva hymns
B. Compilation of Buddhist sermons
C. Vaishnava philosophical work
D. Jain narrative literature

42. Which among the following statements is correct regarding Bhakti?
A. It rejected the concept of personal god
B. It emphasised emotional devotion to a deity
C. It accepted only Sanskrit as sacred language
D. It discouraged women’s participation

43. Assertion (A): The Gupta kings patronised temples dedicated to major gods.
Reason (R): They supported devotional religious groups and image worship.

A. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation
B. A is true but R is false
C. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation
D. A is false but R is true

44. The Bhakti Movement in South India developed significantly under:
A. Delhi Sultans
B. Vijayanagara kings only
C. Satavahanas
D. Pallavas, Pandyas and Cholas

45. Which among the following saints is NOT associated with Nayanars?
A. Appar
B. Ramanuja
C. Nanachampantar
D. Chuntaramurtti

46. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer.

A- A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
B- A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
C- A-III, B-IV, C-I, D-II
D- A-IV, B-III, C-II, D-I

47. Bhakti saints rejected salvation through:
A. Devotion
B. Personal worship
C. Mere social rules and ritual regulations
D. Vernacular hymns

48. Which of the following best explains the social appeal of the Bhakti Movement?
A. Military patronage
B. Strict ritual codes
C. Exclusive priesthood
D. Religious equality and open participation

49. Assertion (A): The Bhakti Movement remained confined only to South India.
Reason (R): Bhakti ideas were later carried to North India by saints and scholars.

A. Both A and R are true
B. A is false but R is true
C. A is true but R is false
D. Both A and R are false

50. The Bhakti Movement in medieval India can best be understood as:
A. A political rebellion against kings
B. A military movement against invaders
C. A revival of sacrificial rituals
D. A socio-religious movement centred on devotion and equality