Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c20.s4: Lesser Losses

Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c20.s4

Language: English

Lesser Losses

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While Muslim population rose through conversion, immigration, and high rate of fertility, its losses in wars and famines were lesser than those of the Hindus, and its natural growth was high.

We have referred at many places to the losses of Muslims in war. But a major portion of Muslim armies consisted of Hindus. Even Mahmud of Ghazni's forces had Hindu contingents. During the Sultanate period Muslims, especially foreign Muslims, belonged to the officer cadre and were mostly cavalrymen, Hindus are often mentioned as Paiks or footsoldiers. The Paiks formed the rank and file and probably the bulk of the Muslim armies. Reference has already made to the large armies of India, both in the North and the South, of Bahmani, Vijayanagar, Mughal. The second volume of Abul Fazl's lists in the *Ain-i-Akbari* give a clear picture of the large number of Hindu contingents that could be called to duty under Akbar. Naturally it is these who were killed in large numbers in wars being placed, as infantry, was then placed, in a vulnerable position.⁵¹ Hindus died in wars of defence of their kingdoms during the unending process of Muslim territorial expansion, and they died in large numbers as members of the Muslim armies. Compared with theirs, the loss of the Muslim numbers was small.

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⁵¹ al-Qalqashindi, describing the battle array of Muhammad bin Tughlaq clearly brings this point home. He says, "according to Sirajuddin al-Hindi... the Sultan stands in the centre (of the army)... the archers stand before and behind him... In front of him are the elephants... In front of the elephants march the slaves in light dress wearing shields and weapons... They hold the ropes of the elephants while the horsemen are to their right and left... *so that not one of them can run away*." (Italics mine). al-Qalqashindi, *op. cit.* (II, n. 4), p. 76.

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Whenever famines occurred Muslim rulers took prompt and commendable measures to provide relief to the people. But from the narative of the chroniclers it is evident that these relief measures were mostly confined to urban areas. And Muslims mostly concentrated in urban areas. Even in the cities sometimes the mission of mercy was marred by bigotry. "Between 1387 and 1395 the Deccan was visited be a severe famine, and Muhammad's⁵² measures for the relief of his subjects displayed a combination of administrative ability, enlightened compassion, and religious bigotry. A thousand bullocks belonging to the transport establishment maintained for the court were placed at the disposal of those in charge of relief measures, and travelled incessantly to and fro between his dominions and Gujarat and Malwa, which had escaped the visitation, bringing thence grain which was sold at low rates in the Deccan, but to Muslims only."⁵³ And Mahmud Bahmani was not the only orthodox sultan in medieval India. It may not be proper to generalize, but probably in famines and such like calamities the Muslims suffered less loss than the Hindus.

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⁵² Ferishtah, *op. cit.* (II, n. 6), I, p. 302 says that the correct name of the sultan is Muhammad and not Mahmud. He also writes that relief measures were undertaken in "large cities and *qasbas*" like Gulbarga, Bidar, Khandahar, Ellichpur etc.

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⁵³ *C.H.I.*, III, *op. cit.* (II, n. 28), p. 385.