Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c12.36

c12.36

Then, throughout the seventeenth century, new cities and towns came into existence; the old ones became richer in numbers. It is not that small villages did not use to change into *qasbas* or small towns into cities in earlier centuries. In fact Muslim rulers, nobles, armymen and traders were all city dwellers, and it can rightly be said that Islam has promoted urban life and Muslim civilisation has everywhere been essentially urban in character. Still in the seventeenth century urbanization went on apace at an accelerated rate. Such a situation, besides other factors, may have been caused by an upward demographic trend. Spreading of the domestic system of manufacture, development of trade and commerce, and employment in royal and private workshop (Karkhanas), provided alternative employment to people who were tempted or forced to leave villages. Cities and towns encouraged absorption of a fair number of rural folk and provided new avenues of various kinds of employment.