Name the Bhakti Saint from South India who was initially a Jaina and a minister in the court of a Chalukya king in the twelfth century.

The correct answer is Basavanna.

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Historical Context and Identity:
Basavanna (also known as Basaveshwara) was a 12th-century philosopher, statesman, Kannada social reformer, and saint in the Bhakti movement. He lived during the reign of the Kalachuri-Chalukya dynasty in the Deccan region of South India.

2. Political Role:
Basavanna served as a minister in the court of King Bijjala II (who ruled the Kalachuri dynasty, which was closely associated with and succeeded the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani in the twelfth century). He was initially appointed as a treasurer and later rose to a ministerial position in the royal court.

3. Religious Transition and Reforms:
Historically, some accounts and traditions record that Basavanna had Jaina associations in his early life before dedicating himself fully to the worship of Shiva. He went on to establish the Lingayatism (or Veerashaivism) movement, advocating for a direct, personalized worship of Shiva through a linga (worn on the body) and rejecting orthodox rituals, temple-centric worship, and the rigid caste system.

4. Evaluating the Other Options:
• Karaikkal Ammaiyar: One of the earliest Nayanars (Shaivite Bhakti saints) who lived in Tamil Nadu during the 6th century, long before the 12th-century Chalukyan era.
• Eknath: A prominent Marathi saint, scholar, and religious poet of the Varkari tradition who lived in the 16th century in Maharashtra.
• Tallapaka Annamacharya: A 15th-century singer-saint from Andhra Pradesh who composed devotional songs (sankirtanas) in praise of Lord Venkateswara.