Naths, Jogis and Siddhas
Also called: Nath panth · Topic: Bhakti and Sufi Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Bhakti-Sufi Traditions"
Meaning
Naths, Jogis and Siddhas were religious teachers who worked outside orthodox Brahmanical religion in north India before the 14th century. Many came from artisan groups, including weavers. These groups grew stronger as craft production became organised, new towns grew, and long-distance trade with Central and West Asia increased. They questioned the authority of the Vedas and taught in the everyday languages of ordinary people. But they did not win the support of the ruling elites, because Brahmanas held strong positions in the Rajput states of that time.
Example
In 1661–62 the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb wrote a letter to a Jogi. He sent him a cloak and Rs 25, saying the Jogi was "under the protection of Sri Shiv Jio". Jogis also visited Nizamuddin Auliya's khanqah (sufi hospice) in Delhi in the 14th century.
Don't confuse with
- Qalandars: radical sufi mystics who also lived as wandering beggars and rejected rules. But they came from within Islam and defied the shari'a (Islamic law). Naths and Jogis came from yogic and Shaiva traditions.