HistoryMedieval India: Bhakti Sufi Traditions

Of the groups of sufis who migrated to India, the Chishtis were the m…

Of the groups of sufis who migrated to India, the Chishtis were the most influential. When did these groups of sufis migrate to India?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → The late twelfth century

The sufi groups, the Chishtis among them, migrated to India in the late twelfth century, and the Chishtis became the most influential because they adapted to local life and Indian devotional traditions.

NCERT (2026-27): “7. The Chishtis in the Subcontinent
Of the groups of sufis who migrated to India in the late twelfth century, the Chishtis were the most influential. This was because they adapted successfully to the local environment and adopted several features of Indian devotional traditions.”

“The khanqah was the centre of social life. We know about Shaikh Nizamuddin’s hospice (c. fourteenth century) on the banks of the river Yamuna in Ghiyaspur, on the outskirts of what was then the city of Delhi. It comprised several small rooms and a big hall ( jama’at khana) where the inmates and visitors lived and prayed. …”