Briefly explain the effects of Sufi and Bhakti movements.

The Bhakti and Sufi movements had a profound impact on the religions of the time and on the social fabric. Some of their impacts are:

1. These movements inspired reforms in religion by criticising unnecessary rituals and false practices.
2. These movements were against the rigid caste system and welcomed members of all castes into their fold.
3. With their message of oneness of God and universal brotherhood, these movements brought the Hindus and the Muslims closer to each other.
4. These movements inspired the Mughal rulers and Sultans of Delhi to follow the policy of religious tolerance and to promote brotherhood and cooperation between the Hindus and the Muslims.
5. These movements enriched the language, culture and vernacular literature. Among important literary works of this period were Ramayana in hindi by Tulsidas and Gurumukhi literature of the Sikh Gurus and Vaishnava literature in Bengali. This period also saw the emergence of Urdu language, which was a mixture of Persian and Hindi.
6. They tried to evolve a new social order by following the principle of equality and by denouncing caste distinctions. By exposing the futility of empty rituals they did away with the domination of priests.