The luminous Advaita philosopher, Acharya Madhusudana Sarasvati interceded with Akbar to protect Hindu Sanyasis and founded the Akhada system. The Naga Sadhus took his inspiration and organised an armed resistance against Muslim hordes and protected Hindu pilgrims at Varanasi and Prayag against Musl
The Sanyasi Freedom Movement of the mid-18th Century had a centuries' old precedent in the tradition of Dhira-Yogis who formed a separate contingent in the Kingdoms of Rajaputana.
This is the first part of a series examining the various myths about the so-called Fakir-Sanyasi Rebellion that occurred in the first half of the 19th century. The correct term for this brilliant historical episode is "The Sanyasi Freedom Movement," whose origins can be traced back to the Bhakti Mov