Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c21.3

c21.3

The main reason for large-scale conversions in Bengal, as indeed elsewhere, lies in the proselytizing endeavour of its Muslim rulers and (and this is peculiar to Bengal) Sufi Mushaikh. Muslim invasions from northern India had started from the early years of the thirteenth century. Bakhtiyar Khalji had invaded Nadia (1203) and Balban had marched (c. 1279-80) as far as Sonargaon in eastern Bengal. The Tughlaqs continued to assert their authority over Bengal and led many expeditions into it. During such campaigns some usual conversions would have taken place. But large number of Muslims were made under the independent Muslim rulers of Benghal. We have referred earlier to the large-scale conversions effected by Sultan Jalaluddin, himself a renegade, in the early years of the fifteenth century. About these Dr. Wise writes that “the only condition he offered were the Koran or death……many Hindus fled to Kamrup and the jungles of Assam, but it is nevertheless probable that more Muhammadans were added to Islam during these seventeen years (1414-31) than in the next three hundred”.¹