Sufism movements in Indian subcontinent

Sufism as an Islamic movement that is based on shared beliefs of Shiites and Sunnis, has many members and advocators from all over the Islamic world, both from Shias and Sunnis, while it has many similarities and even differences with these two religions. One of the most important aspects of Sufism is that it has been able to esablish positive interactions with other religions.The researcher objective in this article is, however, to determine the historical role of Sufism in Indian subcontinent and survey its influences on Islam expansion in this region, based on analytical-descriptive and historical methodologies. Meanwhile, the author tries to have a review on contemporary Sufism movements to step forward for a primary perception of its branches. Because he believes that by trying to have an intuitive understanding of Sufism and know more about its various faces, we could find better ways to use Islamic culture potentials and shared cultural beliefs.