Indian Muslims: Who Are They c8.s1.12

c8.s1.12

Today many classes or groups of people who were originally Hindu are found to belong to the Muhammadan faith, and their conversion can be traced to medieval times. An oft-repeated reason for such conversions is said to be the tyranny of the Hindu caste system. Arnold, Titus and Aziz Ahmad give credit to the democratic social system of Islam¹⁹ for the conversion of low caste Hindus to win a degree of social freedom because for the lower Hindu castes acceptance of Islam meant an escape from the degraded status they had in the Hindu society.²⁰ Dr. Wise thinks that the Muhammadan Julaha (Jolha or Momin) weaver class of Bengal and Bihar belonged to a despised Hindu caste who in a body became converts to Muhammedanism. Ruben Levy also talks of the coarse rabble or Ajlaf in Bengal, who formed the functional groups such as weavers, cotton carders, oil pressers, barbers, tailors etc., as well as converts of originally humble castes in Bengal.²¹