Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c14.13

c14.13

Muhammad bin Qasim remained in Sind for a little more than three years.⁸ After his recall not only the Arab power in Sind declined rapidly, but also most of the neo-converts also returned to their former faith. Al Biladuri informs that 'in the days of Tamim, the Musalmans (had) retired from several parts of India... nor have they up to the present time (he wrote in the middle of the ninth century) advanced so far as in days gone by'. When Hakim succeeded Tamim, "*the people of India had returned to idolatory excepting those of Kassa, and the Musalmans had no place of security in which they could take refuge*".⁹ Sir Dension Ross also says that 'after the recall of Muhammad bin Qasim, the Muslims retained some foothold on the west bank of the river Indus, but they were in such small numbers that they gradually merged into Hindu population. In Mansura (the Muslim capital of Sind) they actually adopted Hinduism.'¹⁰