The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India c8.s4.12

c8.s4.12

The most graphic description of the Muslim army is by a Hindu, the famous Maithli poet Vidyapati of the fourteenth century. Vidyapati was patronised by Sultans Ghiyasuddin and Nasiruddin of Bengal. Writing about Muslim soldiers, he says: Sometimes they ate only raw flesh. Their eyes were red with the intoxication of wine. They could run twenty *yojanas* within the span of half of a day. They used to pass the day with the (bare) loaf under their arm (The soldier) takes into custody all the women of the enemys city Wherever they happened to pass in that very place the ladies of the Rajas house began to be sold in the market. They used to set fire to the villages. They turned out the women (from their homes) and killed the children. Loot was their (source of) income. They subsisted on that. Neither did they have pity for the weak nor did they fear the strong They had nothing to do with righteousness They never kept their promise They were neither desirous of good name, not did they fear bad name¹⁵⁵ At another place he says: Somewhere a Musalman shows his rage and attacks (the Hindus) It appears on seeing the Turks that they would swallow up the whole lot of Hindus.¹⁵⁶