RAS question
Ahmad Sirhindi, a prominent Naqshbandi saint, was given the title:
Correct answer: (A) Mujaddid-i-Alf-i-Sani (Reformer of the Second Millennium).
Ahmad Sirhindi, the Naqshbandi saint, was given the title Mujaddid-i-Alf-i-Sani, meaning Reformer of the Second Millennium.
Explanation
Ahmad Sirhindi is associated with the title Mujaddid-i-Alf-i-Sani, or Reformer of the Second Millennium. Britannica gives his alternate name as Mujaddid-i Alf-i Thani and explains that the title, bestowed posthumously, refers to his place at the beginning of the second millennium of the Muslim calendar. The title fits his historical role: he was a Naqshbandi figure linked with the reassertion of orthodox Sunni Islam in India, in reaction to the syncretic religious tendencies of Akbar's reign. He also opposed Din-i-Ilahi and was imprisoned by Jahangir. So the answer is not just a memorised epithet; it connects Sirhindi with the wider Mughal-era debate over religious orthodoxy and syncretism.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Chiragh-i-Delhi does not match Ahmad Sirhindi's title; his title is Mujaddid-i-Alf-i-Sani, tied to the second millennium and his orthodox reformist role.
- (C) Nadir-ul-Asr is wrong because Encyclopaedia Britannica does not assign this title to Ahmad Sirhindi.
- (D) Sultan-ul-Mashaikh is not the relevant title here; Sirhindi's epithet is Mujaddid-i-Alf-i-Sani, reflecting the 'second millennium' reformer idea.
Concept
This tests medieval Indian history through Sufism and Mughal religious policy, especially the Naqshbandi response to Akbar-era syncretism. RAS often returns to such titles because they connect personalities, sectarian trends, and Mughal court politics in one factual prompt.