Prelims 2016 · Q17
MediumWith reference to the cultural history of medieval India, consider the following statements:
- 1.Siddhas (Sittars) of Tamil region were monotheistic and condemned idolatry.
- 2.Lingayats of Kannada region questioned the theory of rebirth and rejected the caste hierarchy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Both groups stood outside the Brahmanical ritual order. The Tamil Siddhas (Sittars) were a monotheistic, mystical movement within Tamil Shaivism that criticised conventional ritual; the Lingayats (Virashaivas) of Karnataka rejected caste hierarchy and, as NCERT records, questioned rebirth.
- ✓ 1. The Sittars or Siddhas of the Tamil region were a monotheistic, mystical movement within Shaivism. Like other Siddha and Nath groups, they criticised conventional ritual and the social order and looked to a formless Ultimate Reality, which is why UPSC's key treats the statement as correct.
- ✓ 2. NCERT records that the Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and the 'pollution' attributed to some groups, and also questioned the theory of rebirth, which won them followers among the marginalised.
Remember · Lingayats/Virashaivas: Basavanna (1106-68), Karnataka; worship Shiva as linga, reject caste and rebirth, bury the dead. Tamil Siddhas (Sittars): monotheistic, mystical, critics of ritual.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 2 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 2 “The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and the "pollution" attributed to certain groups by Brahmanas. They also questioned the theory of rebirth.”
- IGNOU eGyanKosh (Govt of India central university), Medieval Society-2, Unit 22: Socio-Religious Movements (Shaivism in the Tamil region) ↗ · reference work “a monotheistic movement, mystical in nature, developed within Shaivism in the Tamil region. This was known as the Sittars or Siddhas. … They developed a strong anti-caste, anti- brahmanical rhetoric and subsequently emerged as a cohesive community in the Vijayanagar period.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·