A History of Agriculture in India v2.c60.4

v2.c60.4

BY AND LARGE, the Hindu cultivators of land in Central and East Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar retained their religion, and converts to Islam from among them were few. This pattern of distribution of population subsisted throughout the Muslim rule and remains so even now. ‘Of the inhabitants of India the majority are infidels’, states Ibn Battuta, ‘some of them are subjects (ryots) under Muslim rule (literally ‘under the dhimma of the Muslims’, i.e. protection on payment of tribute taxes), and live in villages governed by a Muslim headman appointed by the tax-collector or subordinate officer in whose fief (iqtā) the village lies. Others of them are rebels and warriors, who maintain themselves in the fastnesses of the mountains and plunder travellers.’