Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c5.s1.64.3

c5.s1.64.3

The extreme *Sufis* and the ascetics adopted one course, the *Ulama* or the theologians the other. It was as unwise as it was unpractical in a country where the Muslims were surrounded by ‘infidels’ on all sides, to drag matters to extremes. The orthodox theologians had associated too long with the secular government to care for a doubtful martyrdom in a fierce civil war. The orthodox and puritanical section of the *Sufis* and the ascetics as a whole, preferred to retire from the world to devote themselves to the care of the spirit, which after all was all that mattered to them.³ We have already pointed out that, short of interference in state matters, the Sultans were willing to safeguard the honour and observances of Islam irrespective of their personal attitude towards religion. In these circumstances it was comparatively easy to come to an understanding with at least one class of religious persons, the orthodox *Ulama*. Just at the commencement of the Muslim rule in Hindustan, we find a statesman and scholar summarizing the position as follows. According to him, the religious functions of a Sultan were confined to the following specified duties ; namely, the reading of the *Khutba* for the Friday and *‘Id* prayers ; the fixing of the extent and the limits of religious prohibitions ; the collecting of taxes for charitable purposes ; the waging of wars in defence of the faith ; the adjudication of disputes when the parties were Muslim, and the hearing of complaints ;