Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s4.t1.28

c7.s4.t1.28

2. *Ahimsa (or Non-violence).*—Reference may be made in this connection to the practice of extreme ‘non-violence’ among a section of Hindus in Gujarat. The Hindus all over the land were extremely kind to all animate beings. The killing of animals and bloodshed in general were looked upon with horror and repulsion.² In Gujarat, the home of Jainism, this attitude was carried to extreme and somewhat ridiculous lengths. For instance, some people of Gujarat used to buy insects and birds to save from slaughter or confinement. They sometimes even paid big ransoms to buy criminals from justice. If they walked on the roads, they shrunk back from the ants and insects. They took their meals only during the day, before sunset, for fear of injuring insects in the darkness of the night. In fact, a class of ascetics arose who bred lice and worms in their hair and body and were highly respected on that account. Cunning beggars scared these Gujaratis into compulsory charity by a pretence of committing suicide. Varthema, after his visit to Gujarat, was thoroughly convinced that the Gujaratis would be saved but for their lack of Christian baptism for ‘they never do to others what they would not that others should do unto them’. For this extreme goodness of heart, as the shrewd traveller observed, the Muslim conquerors had deprived the Gujaratis of their kingdom and the power to rule themselves.³