Later Bhakthi Schools: The age of the Later Bhakthi Schools from 1400 A.D. to 1750 A.D. saw the fall of the great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar and the rise and fall of the Moghul Empire. Bhakthi form of worship and singing of prayers in local languages, which was a Pre-Aryan practice of South India become popular under several teachers like Ramananda, Vallabha and Chaitanya. Vaishnavism of Ramanuja and Madhva also became popular. Various schools of Hinduism hardened into Sects. Castes became rigid and exclusive under foreign religious persecusion. There was also the rise of the Maratta power under Sri Shivaji, Kabir Panthis, the rise of Sikhs and their religious thoughts under Guru Nanak and other Gurus. Later, the Portuguese rule in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century brought the Christian influence. Many Hindu women were married to Muslims. There was large scale conversion to Islam by force. Muslim influence is seen in the religious theories and works of Saint Kabir, Guru Nanak and other leaders of this time.

Religious literature in severl local languages flourished, like songs of Mira Bai, Tukaram's Abhangas, Adi Granth, Ramayana written by Tulasidas and the works of Sur Das. Vijayanagar's influence of architecture was seen in the Temples of Madurai, Rameswaram, Srirangam in the great pillars and gopurams. Persian and Islamic influence entered the great monuments of North India at this time. Kabir, Tulasidas, Ramananda, Chaitanya, Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind, Shivaji, Krishna Deva Raya, Appayya Dikshitar and Thayumanavar belong to this period. Their works and reform movements were mainly to protect the Hindu faith and culture against Western influence. This was the beginning of the age of the reform movements and the Hindu Renaissance of the modern age in the Eighteenth Century. This was the time of the spread of Christianity along with the rise of British power and East India company, forming the British establishment in Calcutta and Madras after the battle of Plassey in 1757 A.D.