The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India c8.s1.8

c8.s1.8

Even so, the Hindus, as *Zimmis*, became second class citizens in their own homeland and were suffered to live under certain disabilities. One of them was that each adult must pay a poll-tax called *jiziyah*. Moreover, the main object in levying the tax is the subjection of infidels to humiliation²¹ and during the process of payment, the *Zimmi* is seized by the collar and vigorously shaken and pulled about in order to show him his degradation.²² The *Zimmis* also had to suffer in respect of their mode of worship, payment of taxes, and on account of certain sumptuary laws.²³ Death awaited them at every corner, because, being idolaters they could be given a choice only between Islam and death.²⁴ The State rested upon the support of the military class which consisted largely of the followers of the faith. They were treated as the favoured children of the state while various kinds of disabilities were imposed upon the non-Muslim It is interesting to note that even (illiterate and unscrupulous) foreign adventurers were preferred just because they were Muslims to hold offices of importance and dignity which were denied to the Hindus.²⁵