Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c20.s3: Higher Fecundity
Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c20.s3
- Language
- English
Higher Fecundity
c20.s3.1
Another important component of growth of Muslim population in India was and is the higher fecundity among Muslims. Kingsley Davis rightly remarks that "in six decades (1881-1941)... at no census have the Muslims failed to improve their percentage and the Hindus failed to lose..." It is due not only to the "proportion of Muslim women married, but those who are married also have a higher fertility "⁴² Today every seventh man in the world is a Muslim,⁴³ and in this great rise of Muslim population their high fertility should have contributed its share. Dudley Kirk, after a detailed study of fertility among various nationalities and religious groups, too, has arrived at the conclusion that birth rate among Muslims is the highest.⁴⁴
c20.s3.2
⁴² Davis, *op. cit*, (I. n. 9), p. 193
c20.s3.3
⁴³ H W. Hazard, *Atlas of Islamic History* (Princeton, 1954), p. 5.
c20.s3.4
⁴⁴ Kirk needs to be quoted at length : "1. Islamic countries uniformly have high birth rates.
2. These are supported by distinctive Islamic attitudes and practices in family life rather than by political or religious doctrine.
3. The "normal" diffusion of birth control to and within Muslim countries on the European pattern has been inhibited by the cultural discontinuity between Muslim peoples and their neighbours.
4. The continuing high birth rates in Muslim countries, matched with increasing progress in reducing deaths, now lead to rapid population growth and its especially high visibility as a handicap to economic and social progress". Dudley Kirk "Factors Affecting Moslem Natality" in Olivia Schieffelin (Ed.) *Muslim Attitudes Towards Family Planning*, Demographic Division, The Population Council, Inc., (New York, 1967), p. 79.
c20.s3.5
About India in particular modern researches in U.P. region give a conflicting picture. Dr. Sinha has found that in Lucknow and Gorakhpur the number of pregnancies per mother was higher among Muslims than among Hindus.⁴⁵ But Dr. Husain's findings show wastage in still births among Muslims greater than among Hindus,⁴⁶ while Dr. Goyal's survey indicates Hindu fertility in U.P. to be greater.⁴⁷ Because of such differences Dr. Ashish Bose could say only this "the evidence on the Hindu-Muslim fertility differential in India is conflicting and nothing can be said with finality on this subject in the present state of knowledge."⁴⁸
c20.s3.6
⁴⁵ J.N. Sinha, *Urban Fertility Patterns* (a Survey in the Cities of Lucknow and Gorakhpur), J.K. Institute of Sociology and Human Relations, (Lucknow, 1959), mimeo.
c20.s3.7
⁴⁶ I.Z. Husain, *Fertility in Lucknow City*, Demographic Research Centre, Lucknow University, (Lucknow, 1968), p. 20.
c20.s3.8
⁴⁷ "A Survey of Fertility and Family Planning in Western Uttar Pradesh", Demographic Research Centre, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, p. 9 (mimeo.).
c20.s3.9
⁴⁸ Ashish Bose, "Differential Fertility by Religion in India" in *Population Problems of India*, Central Family Planning Institute, Ed. by A.R. Kamat—A Symposium held under the Indian Science Congress, 1969 (Delhi, 1969), pp. 78-84, esp. pp. 82-83.
c20.s3.10
But although even for modern times evidence about high fecundity among Muslims is not lacking, in medieval times it was certainly high. Polygamy, multi-marriages, etc. sometimes reached ridiculous limits so "that often the mothers of the sultan's sons could not be indentified",⁴⁹ nor perhaps even the children as shown by enquiries made after the death of Alauddin, Mubarak Khalji and Muhammad bin Tughlaq about the existence of their sons. And what is true of the sultans is also true about the elite. Also in the Hindu-Muslim mixed marriages the couple and the progeny invariably became Muslim. Among Muhammadans the widows, even widows of sultans, remarried.⁵⁰ But a Hindu widow, even if she did not immolate herself, did not re-marry. Sati and Jauhar added to decimate Hindu numbers. Above all in India, as elsewhere, the growth of population is regulated to a large extent to the material condition of the people. In the medieval period the Muslims—but for the very poor sections—had better lands, more nutritious diet, and, as ruling classes everywhere, were in happier circumstances.
c20.s3.11
⁴⁹ M. Mujeeb, *op cit.* (X, n. 24), p 207.
c20.s3.12
⁵⁰ "The Sultan's (Bahram Shah, son of Iltutmish) sister had been married to Kazi Nasiruddin, but being widowed, the deputy took her to wife". Sultan Nasiruddin's widowed mother was married to Katlagh Khan, Minhaj. E and D, II, pp. 338, 354 respectively.