Theory and Practice of Muslim State in India c6.s1.2

c6.s1.2

Thus the state the Muslim invaders and rulers set up in India was a theocracy. This is the conclusion also arrived at by Jadunath Sarkar,¹ R.P. Tripathi,² K.M. Ashraf,³ T.P. Hughes,⁴ *The Encyclopaedia of Islam*⁵ and many others. "All the institutions that the Muslims either evolved or adopted were intended to subserve the law,"⁶ observes Tripathi. On the other hand, I.H. Qureshi says that the "supremacy of the Shara (Islamic law) has misled some into thinking that the Sultanate was a theocracy."⁷ Qureshi's contention may not be taken seriously, because he tries to eulogize every aspect of Muslim rule in India.⁸ But when Mohammad Habib declares that "it (Muslim state in India) was not a theocratic state in any sense of the word" and that "its foundation was, non-religious and secular",⁹ his statement calls for an appraisal.