Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c16.s2.4

c16.s2.4

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 Shams Siraj Afif says that he ordered his Amils to convert Hindus to Islam.⁵³ Firoz Tughlaq himself writes, that he rescinded the Jiziyah to lure people to become Muhammadans, and this measure brought him groups of converts "day by day from every quarter."⁵⁴