Kabir
c. 1440 – c. 1518
Kabir was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint whose vernacular verses criticized empty ritualism in both Hinduism and Islam. A weaver by trade in Varanasi, his poetry deeply influenced the Bhakti movement, and his compositions were later included in the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib. His followers founded the Kabir Panth religious community.
Lived at the same time
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Life events
Kabir was born in or near the city of Varanasi; his exact birth year is disputed, with traditional accounts ranging widely.
According to tradition, Kabir was raised by Niru and Nima, a poor Muslim couple of the julaha weaver community in Varanasi.
Tradition holds that Kabir became a disciple of the Vaishnava bhakti teacher Ramananda in Varanasi.
Kabir earned his living as a weaver, a trade that frequently appears as imagery in his poetry.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgKabir composed couplets and songs in an accessible vernacular idiom, teaching devotion to a formless God.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgThrough his poetry Kabir openly questioned the outward rituals and orthodoxies of both Hindu and Muslim religious establishments.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgLegend recounts that Kabir was denounced by religious authorities and brought before Sultan Sikandar Lodi, but survived attempts to punish him.
Tradition states that Kabir deliberately left Varanasi for the town of Maghar to die there, defying the belief that dying in Maghar brought misfortune.
Kabir is generally believed to have died at Maghar around 1518, after which both Hindu and Muslim followers claimed his memorial.
Source: en.wikipedia.org