Consider the following statements: 1. Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of Akbar. 2. Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Option (d) is correct because both statements are chronologically inaccurate: Saint Nimbarka lived in the 11th/12th century, long before Akbar’s 16th-century reign, and Saint Kabir (15th century) preceded Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (16th/17th century). Statement 1 is a common pitfall as candidates often misplace Bhakti saints within the Mughal timeline, but Nimbarka belonged to the early medieval period. The core concept tested is the historical chronology and the specific eras of prominent figures in the Bhakti and Sufi movements.