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Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c16.s2: Proselytizing Activity of the Government

Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c16.s2

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Proselytizing Activity of the Government

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It was not during expeditions and wars alone that conversions were effected. For increasing the number of their co-religionists, Muslim rulers made free use of the governmental machinery in peace time. This was done not only by the sultans of Delhi, but by all Muslim rulers—of Bengal, Kashmir, the Deccan—wherever Muslim rule was established. One of the measures, which helped raise Muslim numbers was patronage to foreign Muslims—scholars, administrators, mashaikh, soldiers, adventurers—indeed Muslims of almost any sort. This resulted in Muslim immigration on a large scale. Another step was the building and maintenance of mosques, Khanqahs and Sarais from government funds. These mosques, besides being houses of worship and centres of Islamic learning, often provided asylum to the needy and the indigent, who could be potential converts. Sometimes conquests were undertaken with a "missionary" motive.⁴⁹ Some rulers like Sikandar Butshikan of Kashmir (1394-1417) just compelled their subjects to embrace Islam.⁵⁰

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⁴⁹ *Khazain-ul-Futuh*, English trs. by Mohammad Habib under the title of *Campaigns of Alauddin Khilji* (Bombay, 1933), p. 80.

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⁵⁰ Ferishtah, *op. cit.* (II, n. 6), II, p. 341.

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But an important and effective means of obtaining converts was economic temptation or pressure. Ibn Battuta writes that Sultan Qutbuddin Mubark Shah Khalji (1316-1320) used to encourage Hindus to accept Islam by presenting a convert with a robe of honour and a gold ornament.⁵¹ The *Banshasmriti* of Satya Krishna Biswas relates that in Bengal the landlords and Rajas who could not deposit land revenue by a certain date had to convert to Muhammadanism.⁵² Under Firoz Tughlaq (1351-88) the state openly became an agency of conversion. Shams Siraj Afif says that he ordered his Amils to convert Hindus to Islam.⁵³ Firoz Tughlaq himself writes, that he rescinded the Jiziyah to lure people to become Muhammadans, and this measure brought him groups of converts "day by day from every quarter."⁵⁴

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⁵¹ Ibn Battutah, *Voyages*, ed. C. Defremery and B.R. Sanguinetti (Paris, 1857), III, pp. 197-98. Also Lal, *Khaljis*, *op. cit.* (V, n. 4), p. 305.

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⁵² Satya Krishna Biswas, *Banshasmriti* (Bengali), Calcutta, 1926, pp. 6-10.

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⁵³ Afif, *op. cit.* (II, n. 15), pp. 268-69. Also Ishwari Prasad, *Qaraunah Turks*, *op. cit.* (V, n. 17), p. 331.

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⁵⁴ *Fatuhat-i-Firoz Shahi* of Firoz Tughlaq, E and D, III, p. 386.

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Contemporary sources, however, do not supply any figures of the converted in this way. But the number of converts was perhaps not small. Ibn Battuta's assertion that Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah's system of proselytization provided a convenient handle to his enemies to murder him by introducing into the palace a large number of Hindus declaring them to be potential converts, shows that Qutbuddin was accustomed to converting large numbers.⁵⁵

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⁵⁵ Lal, *Khaljis*, *op. cit.* (V, n. 4), p. 305. Ferishtah, *op. cit.* (II, n. 6), I, p. 127.

Cites (3)