Previous Year Question
Arrange the following saints in correct chronological order and select the correct answer from the code given below.
Nanak
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Namdev
Kabir
Code:
3, 4, 2, 1
4, 3, 1, 2
3, 4, 1, 2
4, 3, 2, 1
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Among these four saints, Namdev comes first. His life is generally dated to 1270–1350 CE. He was one of the major saints of the Varkari Bhakti tradition of Maharashtra, and his Abhangas associated with devotion to Vitthal are particularly famous.
Next comes Kabir. There is some disagreement among scholars and different traditions regarding his exact dates, but he is principally regarded as a saint of the 15th century; several academic accounts place his life approximately in 1440–1518 CE.
Kabir was a major saint-poet of the Nirguna Bhakti tradition. He criticised ritualism, caste distinctions and religious orthodoxy while emphasising direct devotion to God.
Next comes Guru Nanak, whose life span was 1469–1539 CE. He was the first Guru of the Sikh tradition and emphasised one God, equality, honest labour, service and community life.
The latest is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was born in 1486 CE and lived approximately from 1486 to 1534 CE. He greatly popularised the Vaishnava devotional tradition centred on Krishna-bhakti and Sankirtana in Bengal and eastern India.
Nanak and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were active during broadly the same historical period, but by birth Nanak was born in 1469 CE, whereas Chaitanya was born in 1486 CE. Therefore, Nanak is placed before Chaitanya.
Thus, the chronology is — Namdev (1270) → Kabir (15th century) → Nanak (1469) → Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486).