Aspirant Academy
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RAS question

The Chishti Sufi order was introduced in India by:

Correct answer: (B) Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti introduced the Chishti Sufi order in India and made Ajmer its major centre.

  1. (A)

    Bahauddin Zakariya

  2. (B)

    Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti

  3. (C)

    Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi

  4. (D)

    Nizamuddin Auliya

Explanation

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is the figure tied to the entry of the Chishti order into India. He introduced the order, settled in Ajmer, and became known as Gharib Nawaz. Encyclopaedia Britannica gives the same core point: Chishtiyah was brought to India by Khwajah Muin-ad-Din Chishti in the 12th century, and its Rajasthan entry links him with Ajmer. That is why the question is not asking for a later Chishti saint or another Sufi silsila. The Chishti tradition is remembered in exam contexts for its stress on love, tolerance, and service to humanity, with later names such as Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Baba Farid, and Nizamuddin Auliya extending its influence.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Bahauddin Zakariya belongs to the Suhrawardi tradition in India, so he cannot be credited with introducing the Chishti order.
  • (C) Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi is associated with the Naqshbandi order, not with the introduction of the Chishti silsila in India.
  • (D) Nizamuddin Auliya was a later Chishti saint in Delhi, so he represents the spread of the order rather than its first introduction in India.

Concept

This tests the medieval Indian history theme of Sufi orders and their leading saints. RAS repeats it because Bhakti-Sufi movements, Ajmer, and saint-silsila matching are compact, high-yield factual areas.

Source

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