Lingayatism
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| Lingayatism | |
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| Name | Lingayatism |
| Type | Shaivism-derived religious movement |
| Main texts | Vachana literature, Basava's writings |
| Founder | Basavanna |
| Founded date | 12th century |
| Founded place | Kalyana |
| Followers | Lingayats |
| Languages | Kannada language, Sanskrit |
Lingayatism is a religious movement originating in the Deccan plateau of medieval India that emphasizes devotion to a personal form of Shiva embodied as a linga worn on the body, social reform, and the authority of vachana poetry. It developed distinct theological, social, and ritual features within the broader milieu of Shaivism, interacting with contemporaneous persons and institutions such as Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, Akka Mahadevi, Bijjala II, and the Western Chalukya Empire. The movement influenced and was influenced by literary, political, and religious currents across Karnataka, Maharashtra, and the wider Indian subcontinent.
Introduction
Lingayatism affirms personal access to the divine through the individual Ishtalinga and rejects certain orthodox practices associated with Brahmanism as practiced in the courts of the Western Chalukya Empire and by later dynasties like the Vijayanagara Empire. Foundational figures such as Basavanna, Channabasavanna, and Allama Prabhu produced vachanas and engaged in debates with scholars from traditions including Advaita Vedanta, Dvaita Vedanta, and Nyaya schools represented by thinkers from lineages like the Tenkalai and Vadakalai (note: those are Vaiṣṇava subsects). The movement's institutional expressions included mathas and guilds that interacted with entities such as Hoysala Empire patrons, Pandya dynasty networks, and urban centers like Kalyana and Halebidu.
Beliefs and Practices
Central belief is devotion to the personal linga, the Ishtalinga, kept on the body and consecrated by rites derived from early Shaiva practices and reformist reinterpretations by saints like Basavanna and Allama Prabhu. Ritual life mixes daily worship, vachana recitation, and communal rites performed in mathas and at temples such as those at Kudalasangama and Ulavi. The movement's ethical orientation—emphasizing work ethic, equality, and rejection of birth-based privileges—aligns with practices promoted in guild assemblies that also engaged with urban trade networks in cities like Bijapur and Hubli-Dharwad. Theology shows affinities and tensions with doctrines advanced by philosophers such as Madhvacharya and Adi Shankaracharya while also dialoguing with Kabir and Guru Nanak in the broader bhakti milieu.
History and Origins
Scholars trace origins to the 12th century under the patronage of figures including Bijjala II and within the milieu of the Western Chalukya Empire court at Kalyana. Basavanna's tenure as a minister, his establishment of institutions like the Anubhava Mantapa, and confrontations with conservative factions linked to Shankaracharya-aligned groups shaped early developments. Subsequent periods saw interactions with dynasties and polities such as the Hoysala Empire, the Vijayanagara Empire, and later Sultanates like the Bahmani Sultanate, which affected transmission, temple-building, and corpus preservation. The canonization and compilation of vachanas involved figures across regions including Akka Mahadevi, Jagadguru, and medieval compilers in centers like Banavasi and Srisailam.
Social Structure and Institutions
Lingayat institutions include mathas, mutts, and sanghas that administered religious education, land grants, and charity; notable centers historically include Kudalasangama and later mathas that interacted with princely states such as Mysore Kingdom. The movement promoted social egalitarianism challenging caste hierarchies incumbent under Brahminical authority common in courts like Hoysala and local assemblies modeled on urban guild frameworks present in Dharwad and Belagavi. Prominent institutional leaders and reformers—both medieval and modern—have engaged with colonial authorities such as the British Raj, princely rulers, and contemporary state governments including Karnataka and Telangana governments to secure legal recognition and community resources.
Literature, Rituals, and Arts
Vachana literature, authored by saints like Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, and Akka Mahadevi, constitutes the movement's principal literary corpus, written primarily in Kannada language and preserved in manuscripts collected across repositories from Hampi to Bangalore. Ritual repertoires incorporate folk forms, temple architecture influenced by Kalyani Chalukya styles, and iconographic programs found at sites like Kudalasangama and shrines associated with medieval patrons including the Hoysalas. The movement inspired performing arts and music traditions that engaged with performers and artisans organized in guilds similar to those in Vijayanagara courts, and it generated commentarial works interacting with texts from traditions such as Shaiva Siddhanta and Puranas.
Modern Developments and Politics
From the 19th century onward, Lingayat leaders and intellectuals—engaging with figures like K. B. Hedgewar-era politics indirectly, reformers in the Indian independence movement, and post-independence politicians—have contested identity, legal status, and affirmative recognition. Debates over classification as a distinct religion versus a Hindu denomination have involved state institutions in Karnataka and the Supreme Court of India, legislative actors in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, and sociologists studying caste mobilization like M. N. Srinivas and G. S. Ghurye. Contemporary political organizations, cultural trusts, and educational institutions rooted in Lingayat networks interact with parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, and regional entities like the Janata Dal (Secular) in electoral politics and policy advocacy.
Demographics and Geographic Distribution
Followers are concentrated in Karnataka—notably districts like Bagalkot, Dharwad, and Gadag—with significant populations in Maharashtra, Telangana, and diasporic communities in United Kingdom, United States, and Canada. Census, survey, and scholarly estimates have been debated in forums involving statisticians and demographers, as well as community organizations and state agencies. Historical migration, trade networks linking cities such as Belgaum and Pune, and patterns of urbanization during periods under the British Raj and the Mysore State contributed to present distribution.
Category:Religions of India