With reference to the religious history of medieval India, the Sufi mystics were known to pursue which of the following practices? 1) Meditation and control of breath 2) Severe ascetic exercises in a lonely place 3) Recitation of holy songs to arouse a state of ecstasy in their audience Which of the statements given above is/are correct?   

The correct answer is D. All three practices were part of Sufi discipline, and this question tests whether you know the internal methods of medieval Sufi orders.

Statement 1 is correct. Sufis practised muraqaba, a meditation focused on the divine, and controls of breath such as habs-i-dam and pas-i-anfas. These were used to still the mind and reach inner absorption.

Statement 2 is correct. Riyazat, or severe austerities, included fasting, sleep deprivation and chilla-kashi, a forty-day seclusion in a khanqah or a lonely spot. The emphasis on renunciation and tawakkul explains why these exercises were central.

Statement 3 is correct. Sama, the listening to devotional songs and poetry, was used to induce wajd, or ecstasy. Qawwali grew out of this practice, and the Chishti silsila made it a central feature of its gatherings.

Core concept: Sufism as the inner, experiential side of Islam and its interaction with the Bhakti movement in medieval India. For Mains, this links to the role of Sufi khanqahs in social service and syncretic culture.

Trap: Candidates often reject statement 1 because they associate meditation and breath control only with yoga. Sufi practice had its own vocabulary and methods, and these practices are not just borrowings from yoga.