The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c11.110.3

v1.c11.110.3

From the very beginning the conquerors adopted a policy of toleration, dictated by political wisdom, and not only did they allow the existing temples to stand, but sometimes, as at Bahmanābād, Brahmans were permitted to rebuild demolished temples. Harsh measures against priests and temples of the Hindus were only taken, as in Daibul, in case of violent resistance to the armies of Islam. Towards the end of our period, we find the Arabs so far removed from their original iconoclastic outlook that they did not hesitate to thrive on the income of idols and utilise them for gaining political ends. The success of Islam in Sind was probably largely due to their policy of moderation.² But towards the middle of the 10th century Islam in Sind appears to have been influenced by a wave of Qarmaṭian heresy from Egypt and ‘Irāq. It was probably after the period A. H. 326 to A. H. 375 (A. D. 938 to 985), during which they met with ignominious defeats in Egypt and ‘Irāq, that they sought new settlements in the East, and taking advantage of the petty local governments, soon spread over the whole of Sind.³ In the beginning of the 11th century, Maḥmūd of Ghazni found both Multan and Manṣūrah in the occupation of this Isma‘īlī sect.⁴ Al-Bīrūnī tells us that when the Qarmaṭians occupied Multan, Jalam ibn Shaibān, the usurper broke the idol of *Āditya* to pieces and killed its priests.