Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c20.2

c20.2

A study of the preceding pages clearly shows that while the total population of medieval India both rose and fell, Muslim population indicated only a rising trend. It also shows that the rise was due mainly to conversions of Hindus to Islam. It needs no reiteration that "it was a part of the state policy to establish Islam as the religion of the whole land".¹ It would again be a truism to say that "Islam is essentially a missionary religion and every Muslim is a missionary of his faith (and as they settled in India) they must have entered upon missionary efforts..."² Thus Muslim rulers, nobles, Mashaikh, Maulvis, traders and merchants were all in one way or the other Muslim missionaries.