Indian Muslims: Who Are They c4.9

c4.9

Arab Muslims first settled on the Malabar coast about the end of the seventh century. These Arab traders who settled down on Indias coast between the seventh and the ninth centuries were treated with tolerance by the Hindus, and so they grew in numbers. In the early part of the eighth century, Hajjaj bin Yusuf (who sent Muhammad bin Qasim to Sind), drove out some persons of the house of Hasham, and they left their homeland to settle in Konkan and the Cape Camorin area. Refugees or traders, Muslims were welcome in India, and apparently, facilities were given to them to settle and acquire lands and openly practice their religion¹⁸ In course of time mosques were erected at eleven places on the Malabar coast.¹⁹ But till the end of the tenth century their settlements were only too small. The Muslim Arab historiog-raphers, while describing the achievements of Muslims on the Malabar Coast, exaggerate their numbers and influence. They also miss to mention the Hindu reabsorbtion of neo-converts, for Sulaiman, who visited India in the ninth century, states that he did not find any Muslims or Arabic speaking people on the western coast.²⁰