Basavanna was born in Engaleshwara Bagewadi, Bijapur district. His father, Madarasa, was the head of the town. His mother was Madalaambike. Basava was born into the Brahmin caste by birth.

Basava, as a child, refused to go through the initiation ceremony on the grounds that his sister and his friends were not initiated. This refusal aroused the people following the Vedic religion. The people went to the extent of excommunicating his family. Basava left Bagewadi and accompanied his sister Akkanagamma to live in Sangama. 

Sangama was a famous place with many learned persons. The town was situated on the banks of the rivers Krishna and Malaprabha. Many students came to Sangama seeking education from the scholars who lived in the town.



Basava received his education from the three Gurus. They were Kappadiya Sangaiah, Jathaveda Muni and Eshanyaguru. After his education, Basava moved to Mangalavadi on the insistence of his father-in-law, Baladeva. Basava married Gangambike, the daughter of Baladeva. He also married Neelambike, daughter of Siddarasa.



Baladeva was the brother of Maadalambike, the mother of Basavanna and Akkanagamma. Baladeva was a minister in the court of king Bijjala. He arranged for Basava to get a job in the treasury department as an accountant.



Basavanna worked hard at his job. He eliminated many wastes and improved the wealth of the kingdom. His hard work and dedication earned him a promotion, and he became a minister. When the kingdom was moved from Mangalavadi to Kalyana, Basavanna also moved to Kalyana. 



Basava was a keen observer. Very early in his life, he noticed that his sister and other friends did not receive the initiation ceremony. During his many travels to the countryside, he observed numerous atrocities. Namely, he saw the wrongdoings of the Vedic followers as against the people in the Sudra class. Sudras were not allowed into temples. They were not permitted to read or write. Listing to Vedic hymns was punishable by pouring hot lead into their ears. Their tongues were cut off for reading Vedic hymns.



In order to resolve these problems, he made Hadapada Appanna as his secretary. He made it known that he was the son of Madaara Chennaiah, a Sudra by birth. He also was said to be alive because of the prasada from Dohara Kakkaiah, another Sudra by birth.



Basava's religious revolution put an end to visiting to the temple. He made people aware of God's presence everywhere. He gave importance to the worship of Istalinga. He rejected the Lingas established in temples. With these changes, people, including Sudras, joined his revolution, enjoyed worshipping the Lord without an intermediary. These changes also brought an end to the established caste system. Basava's followers were called sharanas and they all had Istalinga for worship.



Basavanna exhibited openly enormous compassion towards the people of the Sudra Class. He proclaimed that compassion was the root of every religion. The Vedic followers disliked him very much. They waited for an opportunity to take revenge against him and his followers.



Basavanna and most sharanas agreed to the marriage of Maduvaiahs daughter, a Brahmin, to the son of Haralaiah, a Sudra(see page 90). The Vedic followers complained to king Bijjala.



Sharanas argued that the marriage was not between two different castes but between two sharanas. Because of the pressure, king Bijjala ordered the bride and the groom to be executed. This punishment became the cause for the revolution in Kalyana, which resulted in the destruction of many vachanas and other documents.



Basavanna left Kalyana for Sangama, where he attained his aikya. He wrote vachanas ending with "Kudala Sangama". So far 1,426 vachanas have been found. He has been immortalized as "Anna" meaning brother. Even Mahatma Gandhi wished to eradicate untouchability in India, as was accomplished by Basava in the 12th century.



In a span of 20 years, Basava made social, economic, and religious reforms. In addition he contributed to the literature by writing mostly in the form of vachanas, a mixture of poetry and prose. The caste system that is predominant even today in India, was eliminated with the introduction of the Istalinga. He proclaimed that there was no need for pilgrimages, no need to visit temples for worship, and most of all, that everyone was equal in the eyes of God. Sharanas classified people into two groups, devotee - a believer in God and bavi, a believer in many Gods. 



Basava wrote vachanas that were meaningful and easy to read and understand. He encouraged people to express themselves. Many people who could not read and/or write began to write vachanas.

Those who are rich

Build temples

What can I build!

Poor I am!

My body is the temple

In another vachana, he tells people to follow the main road"

Do not steal,

Do not kill,

Do not lie,

Do not abuse others

Do not praise self 

These will purify inside and out

These actions will please God

Basava made it compulsory for all sharanas to engage in kayaka. Honest wages for honest work was considered good for the use of dasoha.

Basava gave a different turn and form to Shaivism by separating the Varnashrama from it. He adopted the five aspects of Shivapuja namely Vibhuti, Rudraksha, Mantra, Padodaka and Prasad and wove them together in Ashtavarna by adding to them Guru, Linga, and Jangama. He gave the Jangamas, the itinerant preachers, the responsibility of guiding the followers and removing the obstacles and difficulties that beset the spiritually aspirants. He showed the importance and necessity of the Guru as the instructor in spiritual matters. He gave a definite meaning to Linga and made it the central and vital point of this revitalized religion. His religion was the religion of Ishtalinga. He made religion a personal affair under the constant guidance of Guru and occasional instructions of Jangama. He destroyed the artificial barriers put against women in the matter of the privileges of religious life. In the same way, he did away with the inhuman exclusion of a section of the people branded as the Shudras from the privileges of religious and social life. He thereby turned Shaivism into Veershaivism by these far reaching and astounding changes that worked like a miracle and changed the socio-religious fabric of the Hindus of his times. He framed Shatsthala, the technique of Shivayoga on scientific basis. For his stupendous work, he started Shivanubhava Mantapa for an open thorough debate. He extended all facilities to his followers to practice the principles and to prove the efficacy of Shivayoga. All this was done in a short span of one decade. The new movement spread like wildfire and attracted followers from all parts of India. Thus, Basava was the leader of the Veerashaivism movement. It was he who unfurled the banner of revolt against the Varnashrama. It was under his leadership that every aspect of the religion was planned and executed. It was under his leadership that every phase of activity planned and executed. It was he who got Allama Prabhu to guide the followers in the discussions held in the Shivanubhava Mantapa. It was again he who got the people together to carry things to a successful culmination and conclusion. Above all, it was he who exemplified the path of Bhakti (single-minded devotion to God) by his own perfect conduct. It is for all these reasons and for many more that Basava is called the precursor of Veerashaivism