Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c20.s3.10

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.