Ramanuja (1017?-1137?) was an Indian philosopher and religious teacher of devotional Hinduism. He belonged to the Vaishnava sect of Hinduism, members of which worship mainly the god Vishnu. Ramanuja considered Vishnu to be the supreme creator, all-powerful, perfect, and full of love and concern for humanity. Vishnu has many forms. Ramanuja believed that Rama, the righteous king, was the greatest of these Vishnu forms. Ramanuja also believed that each soul retained its individual identity after death, although it was dependent on God and near to God. The powerful rulers of Tamil Nadu in southern India worshipped the god Shiva. These rulers taught that, when a person died, his or her soul merged with the supreme being or God. As a result, they persecuted Ramanuja for his different religious beliefs.