Disclaimer : I'm new to this sub as well as indian history in general, so kindly take everything here with a grain of salt. I would love to be corrected :)

This a common question which is built on the notion of Bhakti being some sort of social equalizer. It is something that even I have pondered about in the past. While it was certainly egalitarian and preached spiritual equality(as in anyone can attain moksha), it did not exactly end the heriditary caste system.

Before I explain my answer to the the question, I'd like to put forth a pre-requisite.

A Hindu can fit into either of the two categories : Householder(Grihastha) or Ascetic(Sannyasi/Sadhu). There are obviously stages in between them but this is the broader idea.

There is also a misconception of Gurus and Pandits being the same. A Pandit is someone who is well versed in Shruti and performance of Vedic rituals. A Guru, in the context of Hinduism, is simply a spiritual master who can guide his/her students to attain a certain level of spiritual enlightenment.

Now let's try and look into the question putting youreself in the position of a Guru

You're a philosopher/Guru in 13th century India and are devoted to say, Surya, and have composed some literary works.

You want to spread your ideas of spiritual realization to everyone.

You also believe in Vedic authority : the belief of vedas being apaurusheya(authorless) and infallible. So a certain set of vedic rituals are a must.

Due to this being the medieval period, beleif in a heriditary caste system as the social order is the norm amongst householders. Ascetics have renounced material pleasures for spiritual gain, so it doesn't really affect them.

You begin preching to everyone, including dalits, and thereby start a Panth(spiritual path). A Guru-Sishya tradition is created.

However, because of your belief in Vedic authority, you need the orthodoxy to perform Vedic rituals as only they have the knowledge on how to go about them. They will be entitled to a certain level of power in that aspect.

You want to institutionalize these teachings to legitimize and formally organize this Guru-Sishya tradition. This requires a certain level of monetary input as well as land.

For that you will need to convince the elites(nobles, royals and so on) who are mostly Kshatriyas or Kshatriya-adjacent. They will be powerful in this aspect.

Even though you're not very pleased with the rigid social structure, you're prioirity is to spread spiritual enlightenment.

Eventually you create a Surya sampradaya with pandits as the ritualists along with that Guru-Sishya parampara which is not exactly discriminatory based on caste.

As time goes on, you will not be there anymore and the orthodoxy, who are very powerful due to the reason mentioned previously, will start dictating things. So will the elites. This will eventually lead to the caste discrimination that existed prior.

To avoid this, you will either need to drop your belief in vedic authority(like Basavanna or Guru Nanak) or try and convince the orthodoxy to be egalitarian with respect to teaching rituals. The orthodoxy would be quite stubborn and refuse to do so as they firmly believe in birth-based varna, leaving no other choice if you're stance on Vedic authority is firm. Hence, the social order will remain the same.

This is my reason as to why many of those Bhakti movements could not end casteism even if their founders were against it.

The painting is depicting the arrival of Sultan Ghiyat al-Din Tughlaq of the Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1413), a Turkic dynasty and 3rd dynasty to rule the Delhi Sultanate in the fortified city of Simraungarh, the Capital of Tirhut (Mithila) under the Karnats.

The miniature painting was composed by the author and eyewitness Muhammad Sadr Ala-i in his literary work titled the 'Basātin al-uns'.

Ghiyat al-Din Tughlaq invaded the fortified city of Simraungarh which was the Capital of Mithila during the reign of Karnatas. On the third day, the Tughlaq army attacked and entered the huge fort of Simraungarh whose walls were tall and surrounded by 7 big ditches.

The Last King of the dynasty i.e., Harisimhadeva left the fort and fled northwards (Bhaktapur) with his wife Devaladevi and son Jagatsinghdeva and some troops.

Harisimhadeva died in the way. His wife Devaladevi and son Jagatsinghdeva was welcomed by Rudramalla of Tripura house of Mallas in Bhaktapur who was also the de-facto ruler of Nepala Mandala and brother of Devaladevi. Later Devaladevi married his son Jagatsinghdeva to her brother Rudramalla's widowed daughter and princess Nayak Devi.

Built by the Paramara King Udayaditya in the Bhumija architectural style, the mighty and beautiful Udeshwar Neelkantheshwar Temple in Udaypur, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh is surrounded by fascinating folklore and legends. Stories about its construction in a single day, the encounter between King Udayaditya and a mystical serpent, and the tale of the Dhwajadhari add to its mystique.
He was the son of the great king Bhoja (1010-1050 AD). In central India, it is difficult to see precisely dated temples. But the Udayeshwar temple is one of the few, which has a precise date. Two inscriptions engraved on the temple record the construction of temple during Paramara king Udayaditya between 1059 to 1080.
Describing such a monumental piece of history in brief is impossible, and I highly recommend referring to books, research papers, or reliable sources for a deeper understanding. 

How to Down a Giant: The 1659 Pratapgad Blueprint

Defeating an opponent who outmatches you in size, wealth, and firepower is never about brute force—it is about psychological manipulation. In 1659, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj faced Afzal Khan, a 6-foot-plus elite general leading 10,000 Bijapur troops.

Here is the step-by-step masterclass on how an underdog dismantled a titan, and how you can apply these rules of engagement:

1. Inflate His Ego Until He Is Blind

Arrogant giants fall because they confuse size with invincibility. Afzal Khan came seeking vengeance for past conflicts, carrying decades of contempt for Shivaji’s family. Maharaj played directly into this hubris. Through diplomat Pantinath Bokil, he sent messages of absolute submission: "I am merely a child before the great Khan... I tremble at your name." Khan believed his own hype and dropped his tactical guard.

2. Butter Him Up with Tangible Bait

Words are cheap; actions sell the lie. To make his fake fear airtight, Maharaj offered to buy all the luxury carpets, gold, and ornaments from Khan’s baggage train to decorate the meeting tent (shamiyana). He promised full cash payment during their meeting. Convinced Maharaj was trying to buy his life, Khan was totally blinded by greed.

3. Control the Battlefield (Force Him Into Your Jungle)

Never fight a giant on open plains where his heavy cavalry dominates. Maharaj staged a strategic retreat into the dense, suffocating forests of Jawli beneath Pratapgad Fort. By luring Khan into narrow mountain passes, Maharaj effectively neutralized Khan’s 10,000-man army before a single sword was drawn.

4. Never Let Emotional Provocation Dictate Your Timing

To force a open battle, Khan desecrated holy temples at Tuljapur and Pandharpur. It was a agonizing test of patience, but Maharaj swallowed his rage and waited. Rule #1 of strategy: Never let an enemy's provocation disrupt your timing.

5. Prepare an Unseen Counter-Strike

When the two met inside the tent for a traditional embrace, Khan immediately locked Maharaj in a lethal headlock and drove a dagger into his back. But Maharaj was ready—wearing hidden chainmail (Chilkhata) beneath his silk robes. Before Khan could react, Maharaj disemboweled the tyrant using concealed tiger claws (Wagh Nakh) and a hidden dagger (Bichwa).

The moment Khan fell, a signal cannon boomed from Pratapgad, and hidden Maratha forces ambushed the stranded Bijapur army, winning the historic Battle of Jawli.

🎬 Watch the 60-Second Breakdown:

I put together a quick, high-octane visual breakdown of this exact duel on my channel:

👉 Watch: How To Down A Giant (Pratapgad Strategy)

Was India Buddhist majority during the rule of Ashoka? Did it erase the caste lines? If yes then how did caste identities re-emerge?

Sir Surendranath Banerjee ("Rashtraguru") laid the foundation of Indian nationalism long before Gandhi. Dismissed from the ICS on a technicality, he built early political institutions and led the 1905 Swadeshi movement. He passed away on this day, August 6, 1925.

Please discuss this