The Bhakti Movement's Legacy in Contemporary Indian Secularism: Revisiting Mediaeval Devotional Poetry as Social Critique

Abstract

This paper examines the enduring influence of the medieval Bhakti movement on contemporary Indian secularism through a critical analysis of devotional poetry as social critique. The research investigates how Bhakti saints from the 12th to 17th centuries challenged caste hierarchies, religious orthodoxy, and social exclusion through vernacular devotional expression, and how these challenges resonate within modern secular discourse in India. Employing a theoretical framework that integrates postcolonial theory, literary criticism, and political philosophy, this study analyzes representative works from prominent Bhakti poets including Kabir, Mirabai, Basavanna, and Tukaram. The analysis reveals that Bhakti poetry articulated a proto-secular vision emphasizing individual spiritual autonomy, social equality, and religious pluralism that prefigured elements of modern secular thought. However, the paper also critically examines tensions between Bhakti's theistic foundations and secular rationalism, arguing that the movement's legacy represents not a seamless precursor to secularism but rather a complex historical resource for negotiating religious diversity and social justice in contemporary India. The findings suggest that revisiting Bhakti literature offers valuable perspectives for addressing current challenges to Indian secularism, including communalism, caste discrimination, and debates over religious identity in public life.