Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c20.s4.2

c20.s4.2

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.