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Glossary Terms
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Lok Devta | Folk deity worshipped at the community level in Rajasthan; typically a historical hero deified after death; associated with cattle protection, snakebite cure, or communal harmony | High — Panchpir cluster; core syllabus |
| Panchpir | The five principal Lok Devtas of Rajasthan: Pabuji, Gogaji, Ramdevji, Tejaji, and Harbhuji — each with an associated Phad painting tradition recited by Bhopa-Bhopi priests | High — identification; frequent PYQ target |
| Phad | Large scroll painting (cloth canvas, 15–30 ft) depicting the life and miracles of a Lok Devta; recited nightly by Bhopa-Bhopi folk priests using an oil lamp; Pabuji and Devnarayan are the most famous Phad traditions | High — performing art connected to Lok Devta |
| Bhopa-Bhopi | Male-female folk priest pair who recite Phad epics; Bhopa narrates and performs, Bhopi holds the lamp and sings — hereditary ritual performers of Lok Devta tradition | Medium — cultural practice detail |
| Nirguna Bhakti | Devotional tradition worshipping a formless, attribute-less God; rejects idol worship, caste hierarchy, and priestly intermediation; major Rajasthan exponents: Dadu Dayal, Kabir, Raidas | High — PYQ 2016 (directly tested) |
| Saguna Bhakti | Devotional tradition worshipping God with form and attributes (e.g., Krishna, Rama); Meera Bai's Krishna devotion is the primary Rajasthan example | High — contrast with Nirguna |
| Dadu Panth | Nirguna Bhakti sect founded by Dadu Dayal (1544–1603 CE) at Sambhar (Nagaur); has 52 branches called dwaras; Dadu Vani (~5,000 verses) is the canonical text | High — PYQ 2016; Rajasthan-specific sect |
| Chishti Silsilah | Sufi order founded by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (1141–1236 CE); established at Ajmer c. 1193 CE; characterised by sulh-i-kul, open khanqah, and sama (qawwali) | High — Ajmer Dargah; PYQ-adjacent |
| Suhrawardi Silsilah | Sufi order founded by Shihabuddin Suhrawardi (Baghdad); Rajasthan centre at Nagaur (Hamiduddin Nagori, 1192–1274 CE); stricter sharia observance and closer state ties than Chishtis | High — PYQ 2021 (directly tested) |
| Sulh-i-Kul | Principle of "universal peace" or "absolute peace with all" — philosophy of Chishti Sufis and Emperor Akbar; basis for cross-religious accessibility of Ajmer Dargah | Medium — Chishti context |
| Sama | Sufi devotional music involving qawwali and chanting; central spiritual practice of the Chishti order; the annual Urs at Ajmer Dargah features sama performances | Medium — Chishti practice |
| Khanqah | Sufi hospice and spiritual centre where a Sufi master (sheikh/pir) lived, taught, and hosted disciples and travellers — the institutional base of Sufi activity in Rajasthan | Medium — Sufi institutional knowledge |
| Urs | Annual death anniversary festival of a Sufi saint, celebrated as a spiritual reunion with the divine; Ajmer Urs (Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Rajab 1–6) is Rajasthan's largest Sufi festival | High — Ajmer Dargah; current affairs |
| Bishnoi Sampradaya | Eco-religious sect founded by Guru Jambheshwar (1485 CE) at Pipasar (Nagaur); prescribes 29 commandments (niyams) including tree protection, animal welfare, and vegetarianism | High — environmental-religious overlap |
| Prasthan Trayi | The three canonical texts of Vedantic philosophy: Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Brahmasutras — the foundational scriptures of all Vedanta sub-schools | High — PYQ 2018 (directly tested) |
| Six Orthodox Schools | The six Astika (orthodox, Veda-accepting) schools of Indian philosophy: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta | High — PYQ 2021 (directly tested) |
| Ahmadiyyah Movement | Religious movement founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908 CE) at Qadian (Punjab) in 1889; controversially claimed prophethood; declared non-Muslim in Pakistan (1974); minority in India | High — PYQ 2024 (directly tested) |
| Charandasi Sect | Nirguna Bhakti sect founded by Charan Das (1703–1782 CE) at Dehra (Alwar); notable for women saints Sahajo Bai (Sahaj Prakash) and Daya Bai (Daya Bodha) | High — PYQ 2024 (directly tested) |
| Ramdev Pir | Syncretic Lok Devta of Rajasthan (c. 1405–1458 CE, Runicha, Jaisalmer); worshipped as both a Hindu deity and "Ramsa Pir" by Muslims; annual Ramdevra Mela draws ~5 lakh pilgrims | High — communal harmony symbol; likely 2026 |
| Gogaji | Rajput Lok Devta (c. 900 CE, Dadreva, Churu) worshipped as a snake deity by Hindus and as "Zahir Pir" by Muslims; Gogamedi Mela (Hanumangarh, Bhadrapada K9) is a major festival | Medium — Panchpir identification |
| Meera Bai | Rajput queen-saint (c. 1498–1547 CE, Kudki/Merta, Nagaur); composed ~250 bhajans in Braj Bhasha and Rajasthani in the Saguna Krishna-bhakti tradition; defied social norms; Mewar royalty | High — literary-religious overlap |
| Universal Priesthood | Doctrine (primarily Protestant Christianity, Martin Luther 1520 CE) that every believer has direct access to God without priestly intermediation; Indian parallel in Nirguna Bhakti's rejection of Brahmin monopoly | High — PYQ 2023 (directly tested) |
| Rina | Sanskrit concept of innate obligations: Dev Rina (to gods, discharged by yajna), Rishi Rina (to sages, by scripture study), Pitru Rina (to ancestors, by shraddha); some texts add Manushya Rina | High — PYQ 2013 (directly tested) |
| Naynar-Alwar | Tamil Shaiva (63 Nayanars) and Vaishnava (12 Alvars) bhakti saint traditions of South India (6th–9th century CE); their devotional poetry (Tevaram, Nalayira Divya Prabandham) influenced North Indian bhakti | High — PYQ 2023 (directly tested) |
| Karni Mata | Lok Devi worshipped at Deshnok (Bikaner); associated with Rao Bika (1488 CE); Charan community goddess; temple famous for 20,000+ sacred rats (kabbas); patroness of the Rathore dynasty | Medium — Lok Devi tradition |