History of Sufism in South Asia

Muslims of South Asia prominently follow the Chishtiyya, Naqshbandiyyah, Qadiriyyah and Suhrawardiyyah orders. Of them the Chishti order is the most visible. Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, a disciple of Khwaja Abu Abdal Chishti, the profounder of this order, introduced it in India. He came to India from Afghanistan with the army of Shihab-ud-Din Ghuri in 1192 AD and started living permanently in Ajmer from 1195. Centuries later, with the support of Mughal rulers, his shrine became a place of pilgrimage. Akbar used to visit the shrine every year.

Turkic conquests in South Asia were accompanied by four Sufi mystics of the Chishtiya order from Afghanistan:
Moinuddin (d. 1233 in Ajmer), Qutbuddin (d. 1236in Delhi), Nizamuddin (d.1335 in Delhi) and Fariduddin (d.1265 in Pakpattan now in Pakistan) [2]. During the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq, who spread the Delhi sultanate towards the south, the Chishtiya spread its roots all across India. The Sufi shine at Ajmer in Rajasthan and Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi belong to this order.

Some Sufis under the Chishtiya order were not against absorbing ideas from the Hindu Bhakti movement and even used Hindi for their devotional songs. However, the mainstream Ulama with royal support insisted that the Sufis go "back to Shari at". Even though the Ulama had certain differences with Sufis over theological and mystic issues, the Shari at remained a cementing force between them.

The Suharawardy order was started by Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi of Baghdad and brought to India by Baha-ud-din Zakariya of Multan. Suhrawardiyyahorder of Sufism gained popularity in Bengal. The Qadiriyyah order founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani whose tomb is at Baghdad. It is popular among the Muslims of South India.

Baha-ud-Din Naqshband (1318-1389) of Turkestan founded Naqshbandi order of Sufism. Khwaja Mohhammad Baqi Billah Berang whose tomb is in Delhi (E.I.Rose ) introduced Naqshbandi order in India. The essence of this order was persistence on rigid obedience to Shariat and encouraged love for prophet. It was patronized by the Mughal rulers, as its founder was their ancestral 'Pir' (Spiritual guide). "The conquest of India by Babur in 1526 gave considerable drive to the Naqshbandiyya order" . Its disciples remained loyal to the throne because of the common Turkic origin. With the royal patronage of most of the Mughal rulers, the Naqshbandi order caused the revival of Islam in its pure form.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sufism