The Rashtrakutas and their Times c20.193

c20.193

How far these theories were accepted by the society of our period is the question which the historian has to answer. There is evidence to show that the Hinduism of our period was not so conservative or short-sighted as the present day Hinduism, and was prepared to follow in practice the gospel of reconversion which was recommended to it by its thinking sages. A specific case of reconversion has been mentioned by Al 'Utbi.¹⁵² Nawās Shāh was one of the Indian rulers who had been established by Mahmud of Ghazni as a governor of some of the districts conquered by him, in reward for his embracing the Islam. Al 'Utbi proceeds to narrate :—' The Satan had got the better of Nawās Shāh, for he was again apostatizing towards the pit of plural worship, had thrown off the slough of Islam and held conversations with the chiefs of idolatry, respecting the casting off the firm rope of religion from his neck. So the Sultan went swifter than the wind... and turned Nawās Shāh out of his government, took possession of his treasures ..' This account given by a Muslim himself clearly proves that Nawās Shāh repented of his conduct and was making arrangements for his reconversion which enraged Mahmud. Al 'Utbi does not state whether Nawās Shāh was actually converted back into Hinduism, but since he was so summarily dealt with by Mahmud, it is almost certain that the reconversion was not merely planned but actually carried out.