Sankardev

Śaṅkaradeva was a 15th–16th-century saint, scholar, poet, and reformer of Assam, and the founder of the Ekaśaraṇa Nāma-dharma ("shelter-in-one" name-religion), a monotheistic Vaiṣṇava tradition centered on devotion to Kṛṣṇa through the chanting of the divine name. He profoundly shaped Assamese culture: he composed devotional poetry and the Kīrtana-ghoṣā, translated and adapted portions of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa into Assamese, created the dramatic form known as Aṅkīyā Nāṭ and the Borgeet songs, and helped establish the sattra (monastery) and nāmghar (prayer-hall) institutions that remain central to Assamese religious life. His movement emphasized devotion over caste hierarchy and ritualism. His traditional dates of 1449–1568 are widely cited, though the very long lifespan they imply is a matter of tradition rather than independent record.