Jagadguru Basaveshwara (1134-1196 AD):
- Why in the news? : On May 10,2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Jagadguru Basaveshwara on the occasion of Basava Jayanti.
- Introduction : Basavanna (also known as Basaveshwara) was born in the Bijapur district of Karnataka in 1134 CE. He was the prime minister in the court of Bijala II, the Kalachuri king of Kalyani. He was a 12th-century philosopher, social reformer and poet who gave a new direction to the Bhakti movement in Karnataka and Lingayat sect was established.
- Philosophy and Social Reforms : He founded ‘Anubhav Mandap’, which is the world’s first parliament where people of all castes, classes, and genders could discuss spiritual and social issues. Basavanna opposed caste system , gender inequality and superstitions He gave the philosophy of ‘Kayakave Kailasa’ (Work is Heaven), which means that honest labour is equivalent to worshipping God.
- Major Contributions : He composed poems called ‘Vachana’ in Kannada language, in which his philosophical and social ideas have been expressed.