RAS question
The Chishti saint Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar was based in:
Correct answer: (C) Pakpattan (Punjab).
Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar, the Chishti Sufi saint, was based in Ajodhan, present-day Pakpattan in Punjab, Pakistan.
Explanation
Baba Farid, also known as Fariduddin Masud Ganjshakar, belongs to the Chishti Sufi tradition and is remembered as one of the earliest major Punjabi spiritual poets. Ganjshakar - Baba Farid places his main centre at Ajodhan, present-day Pakpattan in Punjab, Pakistan, which is why Pakpattan is the correct answer. He was part of the Chishti chain as a disciple of Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki and the teacher of Nizamuddin Auliya. His importance is not limited to Sufi history: his Punjabi verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib, making him a recurring figure in medieval religious and cultural history questions.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Lahore is not Baba Farid's base; his base was Ajodhan, present-day Pakpattan.
- (B) Ajmer is linked with the broader Chishti lineage, but the question asks where Baba Farid himself was based, and the relevant location is Pakpattan.
- (D) Delhi appears in Baba Farid's Chishti connections through Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, but his main centre was Ajodhan or Pakpattan.
Concept
This tests the medieval Bhakti-Sufi movement, especially the Chishti silsila and its regional centres. RAS often asks such saint-place associations because they connect religious movements with cultural geography.