History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c41.s9.5

v3.c41.s9.5

Again inspite of the destruction of Hindu temples by Mahomedans in Northern India in this sub-period, the Hindu kings of Gujarat and Mahārāshtra, as also the people, were tolerant enough to allow Mahomedans to build mosques in their towns especially on the sea-coast. Nay we find in Somnath itself a Khoja merchant from Hormuz in Persian gulf building a ‘Mijigiti’ (Masjid) with the consent of Parama Pāśupatāchārya Mahā Pandita Mahattara Dharmamūrti and Abhaya of the Panch Kula while Malikdeva was the local officer in behalf of Arjunadeva Chālukya who ruled in Anhilwad. The Mijigiti was not only given land for its building but some bazars were assigned for its maintenance by the Hindus and this whole thing was recorded in a stone inscription drawn up in Sanskrit dated St. 1320, Valabhi 945, Sinha 151 and Hijri 662 with the usual imprecations against any one interfering with the Masjid and the gift (Bhav.Insc.p. 225). This speaks volumes of the tolerant spirit of the Hindus of Gujarat. We have already noted that Jayasinha Siddharāja personally inquired into the complaint of a Mahomedan about Parsis throwing down a Masjid in Cambay and restoring it at his own cost (E. II.). The Rāshtrakūṭas again and even the Chālukyas before them, allowed Mahomedans to build Masjids in their territory, allowing Mahomedans to have even their own jurisdiction (Vol. II. p. 166). The Silāhāras of Thana again addressed their grants to Parsis and Mahomedans who were settled in Sanjan and who appear to have enjoyed special rights. This attitude of the Hindus of Gujarat and Mahārāshtra and their kings is indeed fit to be extolled and specially noticed. There is no wonder, therefore, if the people and kings of these two regions were tolerant towards the Jain religion. We have already shown how the Chālukya kings of Gujarat in this sub-period and later the Veghela kings gave encouragement to Jainism, honoured Jain Pandits and gave donations to Jain temples. Though the Chalukyas of Kalyan were not tolerant towards the Jain faith, the Silāhāra kings of Karhad, especially Vijayāditya, while they remained devotees of Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur, were very liberal to the Jains and gave their temples and ascetics many villages (E. I. III p. 207). Jainism probably spread both in Gujarat and the southern Maratha country during the reigns of these kings.