Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c12.70

c12.70

European visitors were greatly impressed by the large numbers in the cities, but they say little about the rural population. "There is almost an universal tendency on the part of Europeans, who are highly urbanized, to under-estimate the population of the peasant regions."⁵⁰ In fact they do not underestimate, they are just silent about rural areas. We are, however, aware of the fact that it was in the peasant regions that the "teeming millions" of India lived, and Indian writers do not fail to mention this fact. Ferishtah, concluding his voluminous work with some general observations on India, rightly observes, "And the country of Hind for its excessive population and large stock of animals cannot be compared with any other country."⁵¹ Bakhtawar Khan, writing during the reign of Aurangzeb, affirms that the country of Hindustan teems with population.⁵²