Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c18.7

c18.7

In one respect alone Jahangir deviated from the policy of his father: he did not permit people to embrace Hinduism even of their own free will. He severely punished Kaukab, Sharif and Abdul Latif who, under the influence of a Sanyasi, showed inclination for Hinduism.⁵ This policy would have stopped any erosion of Muslim numbers. Besides, while on a visit to Kashmir, when he learnt that the Hindus and Muslims intermarried freely, "and both give and take girls (he ordered that) taking them is good but giving them, God forbid."⁶ And any violation of this order was to be visited with capital punishment.⁷ Jahangir was unnecessarily fussy, because, whether a Muslim married a Hindu girl or a Hindu married a Muslim girl, in course of time all of them used to become Muhammadan.⁸ Shahjahan's orders in this regard were that the Hindus could keep their Muslim wives only if they accepted Islam. Consequently, during his reign, 4,000 to 5,000 Hindus converted to Islam in Bhadnor alone.⁹ 70 such cases were found in Gujarat and 400 in the Punjab.¹⁰ The policy of converting such "families" would have contributed to the growth of Muslim numbers.