RAS question
The Sufi concept of 'Sama' (spiritual music and dancing) is most associated with which order?
Correct answer: (B) Chishti.
Sama, the Sufi practice of spiritual music gatherings, is most closely associated in medieval Indian history with the Chishti order.
Explanation
The association is with the Chishti order because NCERT places Sama at the centre of Chishti practice in India. NCERT describes Sufi saints as adopting musical recitation called Sama to emphasise love and nearness to God, then identifies the Chishti silsilah as among the most influential orders. In the same section, it says Amir Khusrau took part in musical gatherings and that Nizamuddin Auliya organised Sama, giving Chishti Sama a distinctive form through the qaul used in qawwali. This supports option B: Chishti, not merely as a generic Sufi label but as the order specifically tied to Nizamuddin Auliya, Amir Khusrau, Sama gatherings and qawwali.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Suhrawardi order is not highlighted by NCERT for promoting Sama as a central devotional practice.
- (C) The Qadiri order is not linked to Sama with the same emphasis placed on the Chishti order.
- (D) The Naqshbandi order provides the opposite contrast, since it is described as opposing Sama and music.
Concept
This tests the Bhakti-Sufi movement section of medieval Indian history, especially the distinctive practices of major Sufi silsilahs. It recurs in RAS because orders such as Chishti, Suhrawardi and Naqshbandi are often asked through their practices, saints and cultural impact.