Question map
Which one of the following is the correct sequence of appearance of the poet-saints of the Bhakti-Sufi tradition?
Explanation
The chronological sequence of the poet-saints is determined by their respective historical periods. Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) was a prominent 7th-century Nayanar saint from Tamil Nadu whose hymns are part of the Tevaram. Basavanna followed in the 12th century, leading the Virashaiva or Lingayat movement in Karnataka and challenging caste hierarchies through his Vachanas. Lal Ded (Lalleshwari), the Kashmiri mystic poet known for her 'vakhs', lived during the 14th century. Finally, Mira Bai, the Rajput princess and devotee of Krishna, lived during the late 15th to 16th centuries, expressing her devotion in Hindi and Rajasthani. Therefore, the correct chronological order is Appar (7th century), Basavanna (12th century), Lal Ded (14th century), and Mira Bai (16th century).