The Rashtrakutas and their Times c20.200

c20.200

It is a pity that the lead given by these Smṛti writers was not followed subsequent to our period. There is evidence to show that already in the 11th century Hinduism had begun to hesitate about readmitting the converts within its fold. Alberuni says that he was repeatedly told that when the Hindu slaves in Muslim countries escaped and returned to their country and religion, they were readmitted after an expiation; but when he enquired from the Brahmaṇas whether this was true, they denied it, maintaining that there was no expiation possible for such individuals. It is thus clear that towards the beginning of the 11th century the masses were for re-conversion but the orthodoxy had begun to frown on the practice The main reason why the orthodoxy was seeking to interdict the reconversion was its growing notions of purity. Interdining and intermarriages among the various members of the Hindu castes had become unpopular during our period, as will be shown in the next chapter; grave difficulties about the place of the reconverts in the Hindu society, similar to those that are being experienced today, must have begun to present themselves during our period. For, Alberuni rejects the reports about reconversions and accepts the information of his Brahmana informants for very significant reason. He says:—'How should that (i. e. reconversion) be possible? If a Brahmana eats in the house of a Sudra for sundry days he is expelled from his caste and can never regain it'.(155) It would thus appear that the growing notions of excessive purity were responsible for the disappearance of reconversion; it was very probably first given up by the Brahmaṇas, and the rest of the castes may have soon followed their lead.