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The History of Islam in India8th Century to 1857

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Population % Muslim

Pakistan 178,097,000 11.00%

India 177,286,000 10.97%Bangladesh 148,607,000 9.18%

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A few points to take into account• Western Historians / writers over 150 years• Divide and conquer Muslims vs Hindus• Misrepresent Muslim History• Majority of Muslims rulers, Sultan, Kings were neither Awliyaulllah or

protectors of deen.• This history goes back 1000 years. Europe was going through dark ages,

fighting religious intolerance – denial of Catholic belief meant death.• Men of Science were burnt alive in Europe M ibn Qasim was building

temples.• Muslim rulers had given prominent positions to Hindus• Misconception - Muslims forcibly converted Hindus to Islam?• In reality its was expansion of empire – Mahmood Gaznavi fought

Muslims as well as Hindus

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• Indians an old civilisations• Dynasties formed• Sunni, shia, Sufis traditions all started here• Geography of religion – all factions in Muslim world have participants and representatives in India• Shia, sunni and sufi divide• The pre Islamic traditions in Arabia were also carried over• Tomb worship of their Auliya etc..• Competition between various dynasties also affected Islam in India• Islam confronted caste system in India – this still exists• Hindus converted, there were Turkish and Persia influences in India• Muslims did not force people to become Muslims• Muslims engaged culturally not just as traders or conquerors – did not Arabise Indians rather people

saw themselves as Muslims, naturally a Muslim is closer to an Arab than a Hindu from same part of the country

• Culture retained, lack of Dawah• People accepted Islam• Muslims did not fight Buddhists

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India – 100s of years before• Up to 323BC – India always under attack• Culture civilisation older than Greeks• Little known about its rulers – Rajputs mainly ruled.• Buddhism predominated due to the caste system in Hinduism• Around the growth of Islam in Arabia; India was controlled by

Maharaja Harsh Vardana who ruled Northern India till 647.• His death lead to growth of Brahmins and their influence amongst

Rajputs.• Arab traders regularly visited India, it is said that many people and

Rajas had accepted Islam..Ibn Batuta quotes this.• First masjid built in Kerlea (South-West coast) in 629AD by Mailk Bin

Deenar.

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India at time of Ignorance – 6th Century

• Achievements in astronomy, mathematics, medicine and philosophy

• Morally, religiously and socially degraded.• Women had no honour – she died with her husband – jumped

into the fire pyre.• She could not re-marry.• The society had divided into 4 distinct classes:

– The Brahmins – priests, enjoyed the monolpoly of the religion– The Kshatriyas – nobles, warriors, they govern the country– The Vaisyas – merchants, peasants and artisans– The Sudra – serve the first three – it was an honour to serve the

Brahmins.

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• Brahmins were privileged, could not be taxed or tried for any crime.• The Sudras could not socialise with Brahmins could not sit with

them, could not buy assets or read the sacred scriptures.• But India was in a downward spiral, corruption and tyranny was

prevalent.

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The first Masjid in India

• The Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kerala is considerably older, although whether it was continuously in use is open to question. It would make sense that the Kerala mosque is older, as Islam was spread in the early centuries through navigating the oceans and Kerala is a coastal area of India on the Arabian Sea.

• The Oral tradition is that the Arab world had trade contacts with Kerala coast from very early times. Interaction with the Arabs brought Cheraman Perumal (the last Chera king to rule Cheranad (ancient Kerala)) closer to Islam.

• Later the king partitioned his kingdom among several chieftains for smooth governance, went to Mecca and converted to Islam and accepted the name Thajuddin. He married the sister of King of Jeddah and settled down there. As the tradition goes, Cheramanperumal, when he was convinced of his imminent death, wrote letters to his relatives in Kerala seeking their help to propagate the tenets of Islam in Kerala. After his death, when Malik Bin Dinar (a disciple of Prophet Mohammed and a contemporary of Cheraman Perumal) came to Kerala, he brought the letters written by Perumal. The rulers of Kerala honoured the letter and permitted Malik Bin Dinar and his fellow Arab Muslim traders to establish mosques at different places in Kerala. This mosque at Kodungallur was the first to be established and Malik Bin Dinar himself became the first Ghazi of the mosque. Later Malik Bin Dinar appointed his son Habib Bin Malik as the next Ghazi, travelled all around Kerala establishing mosques in different parts of the state.

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• Before the Muslim conquest of Indian subcontinent, much of north and west India was being ruled by Hindu Rajput dynasties.

• The Rajput kingdoms contended with the rising and expansionist empires of Central Asia, be they Arabs, Turks, Mughals or Timurids.

• They earned their reputation by fighting battles with a code of chivalrous conduct rooted in their strong adherence to tradition and Hinduism.

• The Rajputs held out against the Arab Caliphates and other Central Asian Empires for several centuries. A few of Rajput kings converted to Islam, some formed alliance with the Mughals, which laid the foundations for the creation of a mighty Mughal Empire.

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A map of Muhammad bin Qasim's expedition into Sindh in 711 AD

The Umayyad Khilafah on the eve of the invasions of Spain and Sindh in

710.

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Major conquests before India

• 1st major conquest Makkah (629CE)• Yemen in 632 and therefore entire Arab peninsula• 632-634 in time of Abu Bakr (ra) Iraq conquered, Sham

attacked, Basra and Damishq conquered.• Umar (634-645) – Homs, Palestine, Egypt, Persia, Sham –

36000 towns/cities/fortresses taken.• Uthman - Africa, Rhodes and Qabrus taken• Ummaya time – central Asia, N Africa, Andulsia – 93AH(712) –

M ibn Qasim sent to India.

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• The first time Muslims went to India was around 664 CE during the Umayyad Caliphate, led by Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Suffrah towards Multan in Southern Punjab, in modern day Pakistan.

• The last Arab push in the region would be towards the end of Umayyad reign under Muhammad bin Qasim, on orders of Hajjaj Ibn Yususf in 712 with force of 6000 and thereby establishing the dominion of the Umayyad Caliphate from Lisbon in Portugal to the Indus Valley.

• Qasim's stay was brief as he was soon recalled to Iraq, and the Caliphates rule in South Asia shrank to Sindh and Southern Punjab in the form of Arab states, the principal of whom were Al Mansura and Multan.

• The Muslims would be defeated by the south Indian Emperor Vikramaditya of the Chalukya dynastyand the Rajputs in 738 at the battle of Rajistan.

• Deals well with Hindus – freedom to practice their religion.• He is welcomed by the people of Sindh.• He conquered as far as Multan and built masajid and mandars.• Goes back in 716 on hearing the news of the death of Hajjaj – Sulayman Ibn abdul

Malik came to throne and had Ibn Qasim killed.• The system of sindh in his absence corrupted three years later in the time of Umar

Ibn Abdul Aziz Sindh retaken but most Rajas had accepted Islam and Sindh was given to them to rule.

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Mahmood Gaznavi

• From Ghazna in Afghanistan this city came under Islam in 683 AD.• Mahmood Ghaznavi attacked India approx. 300yrs after Ibn Qasim.• Raja Jay Pal was ruler of Punjab in Pakistan his area was bordering the rule of Sabagteen

(father of MG).• The Raja attacked Ghazana and was defeated - this bought a lot wealth into Ghazna and the

appetite to conquer India grew.• MG was a brave and intelligent general and sultan.• In the North he conquered Khorosan and Bokhara whilst in Samarkand the rulers submitted

to his rule. He had also conquered West of todays Pakistan.• Apart of Punjab he did not establish any proper governments any where, he would attack

the Rajas when they rebelled and then would return, he went as far as Delhi.• His conquests were different from the Banu Umayya or Banu Abbas.• 17 attacks on India – he became known for war mongering in India.• He fought other Muslims 34/35 times.• He was honest and just – his son, old woman• Fun of learning – poetry, science, mathematics, Al-Biruni lived in his time

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Allegations against Mahmood Ghaznavi

• He was a conqueror he did not just war against Hindus. He fought the Rajas many time and each time he defeated them and reinstated them.

• Apart from India his other battles were against Muslims in Khwarazim, Bokhara, Turkistan, Balkh etc..

• He only attacked three temples of Hindus and Buddhists – the religious community was rebelling against him.

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Sultan Shahab u Deen Ghauri(1175-1206)

• His ancestors were Buddhists who accepted Islam in the time of Ali (ra). • Like MG he was also a conqueror – he conquered Pakistan and Northern

India and went as far as Bengal, he captured Delhi.• He accepted the Abassi Khilafah and fought the Ismailis and polytheism.• Many people accepted Islam in his time.• e.g. between river Jehlum Sindh a Muslim was a prisoner, and he used

to tell its people about Islam. The leader asked how will you leader deal with us if we accept Islam, very well….these people were Kaukars and used to bury their daughter alive.

• The famous alim at this time was Imam Razi who spent 24 years of his life in Ghazni and corrected may beliefs of people.

• Another famous alim was Khawaja Maueen ud Deen Chishti (d.1235)– based himself in Ajmer and did a lot of dawah.

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Delhi sultanate(1208-1413)

• Qutub u Deen Abek - Turkish slave of Shab u deen Ghauri – not good looking - very brave soldier and fought alongside with the Sultan especially against Khwarazim Shah. He was deputy of Ghauri in India. He established a Turkic kingdom in Delhi, which enabled future sultans to push in every direction; within the next 100 years, the Delhi Sultanate extended its way east to Bengal and south to the Deccan, while the sultanate itself experienced repeated threats from the northwest and internal revolts from displeased, independent-minded nobles.

• The Mamluks of India (1206-1290)– 50 years before the Mamluks of Egypt

• Khalji Dynastry (1290-1320)• Taglug Dynastry (1321 – 1413)

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• التتمش الدین – slave of Abek reigned for 26 years- شمسpious man who is also noted for being one of the few states to repeatedly defeat the Mongols.

• Delhi became the centre of Islamic kingdom in Delhi in his time.

• His daughter Razia Al-Din (1236-1240) becomes the first female Muslim ruler, she had 19 brothers – she had the art of leading armies great administrator – killed by her own brothers.

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• Khalji Dynastry (1290-1320)• Founded by Jalal u Din Khalji – he was a pious man; ruled for 7

years. I will not work against the Sharia of The Prophet of Islam.

• He time was time of justice and he was killed by his own nephew (Ala din Khalji) – in his time things were cheaper and people were happy and Islamic teaching start to flourish through greater teachers.

• Urdu language started in this time.

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• Taglug Dynastry (1321 – 1413)• Ghayath u din Taglug (1321 – 1325) – 29 times he defeated

the Mongols and save western India – very religious always prayed with Jammah, never wasted wealth and people were happy.

• Muhammad Taglug (1325 – 1351) 1st 10 years were good, after that too many revolts – always prayed fasted, never touched alcohol, built hospitals, guest houses

• Feroz Shah – (1351 – 1388) – built masajid, madrassa, • 1398 – Taimur attacks India, destroys Delhi

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• Delhi Sultanate accomplishments (200yrs)• Peaked for 180 years.• Built roads, rivers, masajid, water hoses, schools, in one city

there were 8 masajid with capacity of 10000.• The cities were prosperous.• Sciences flourished

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Moghuls(1526-1540; 1552-1719; 1720-1858)

• In the early 16th century, northern India, conquered by Mughals.• The resulting Mughal Empire did not stamp out the local societies it

came to rule, but rather balanced and pacified them through new administrative practices and diverse and inclusive ruling elites, leading to more systematic, centralised, and uniform rule.

• Mixing tribal bonds and Islamic identity, especially under Akbar, the Mughals united their far-flung realms through loyalty, expressed through a Persianised culture, to an emperor who had near-divine status.

• The Mughal state's economic policies, deriving most revenues from agriculture and mandating that taxes be paid in the well-regulated silver currency, caused peasants and artisans to enter larger markets.

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• The relative peace maintained by the empire during much of the 17th century was a factor in India's economic expansion, resulting in greater patronage of paining, literary forms, textiles, and architecture

• Newly coherent social groups in northern and western India, such as the Marathas, the Rajputs, and the Skikhs, gained military and governing ambitions during Mughal rule, which, through collaboration or adversity, gave them both recognition and military experience.

• Expanding commerce during Mughal rule gave rise to new Indian commercial and political elites along the coasts of southern and eastern India.

• As the empire disintegrated, many among these elites were able to seek and control their own affairs.

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Main rulersEmperor Reign

Period Death Notes

Babur 1526–1530Dec 26, 1530

Was a direct descendant of Genghis Khan through Timur and was the founder of the Mughal Empire after his victories at the Battle of Panipat (1526) and the Battle of Khanwa.

Humayun 1530–1540Jan 1556

Reign interrupted by Suri Dynasty. Youth and inexperience at ascension led to his being regarded as a less effective ruler than usurper, She Shah Suri

1555–1556Jan 1556

Restored rule was more unified and effective than initial reign of 1530–1540; left unified empire for his son, Akbar.

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Akbar 1556–1605 Oct 27, 1605

He and Bairam Khan defeated Hemu during the Second Battle of Panipat and later won famous victories during the Siege of Chittorgarh and the Siege of Ranthambore; He greatly expanded the Empire and is regarded as the most illustrious ruler of the Mughal Empire as he set up the empire's various institutions; he married Mariam-uz-Zamani, a Rajput princess. One of his most famous construction marvels was the Lahore Fort.

Jahangir 1605–1627 1627

Jahangir set the precedent for sons rebelling against their emperor fathers. Opened first relations with the British East India Company. Reportedly was an alcoholic, and his wife Empress Noor Jahan became the real power behind the throne and competently ruled in his place.

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Shah Jahan 1627–1658 1666

Under him, Mughal art and architecture reached their zenith; constructed the Taj Mahal, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Jahangir mausoleum, and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore. Deposed by his son Aurangzeb.

Aurangzeb 1658–1707 Mar 3, 1707

He reinterpreted Islamic law and presented the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri; he captured the diamond mines of the Sultanate of Golconda; he spent the major part of his last 27 years in the war with the Maratha rebels; at its zenith, his conquests expanded the empire to its greatest extent; the over-stretched empire was controlled by Mansabdars, and faced challenges after his death. He is known to have transcribed copies of the Qur'an using his own styles of calligraphy. he died during a campaign against the ravaging Marathas in the Deccan.

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Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur (defender of Faith)

• Defeated Ibrahim Lodhi at Panipat (90km North of Delhi)• The Raja rebelled and came with a coalition of pathans and

other (200 000) – 12000 of Babar’s soldiers defeated them.• He spent 4 years as ruler of N India and was a brave ruler

like Sulayman the Great and Salahuddin.• Agra was also conquered – • He returned all the wealth that Ibrahim Lodhi had looted.• Advice to Humayyun – just, seek pleasure of Allah, keep

your people happy

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Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun

• His peaceful personality, patience and non-provocative methods of speech earned him the title ’Insān-i-Kamil (‘Perfect Man’),

• Lost much to arch rival Sher Shah Suri.• His brothers rebelled against him• Weak leader could not contain his own soldiers

Humayun1530–1540

1555-1556Jan 1556

Reign interrupted by Suri Dynasty. Youth and inexperience at ascension led to his being regarded as a less effective ruler than usurper, She Shah Suri

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Sher Shah Suri(1540-1554)

• Brave, brilliant commander and king• He was just• Built roads, fortresses – connected many cities by road –

planted trees by the roads, built services for travellers – built homes, colonies, masjid, water faculties were provided, looked after the needs of Hindus.

• Very pious man – prayer tahajjud regularly

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Jalal u Din Muhammad AkbarAkbar the Great 1556 - 1605

• Became emperor at the age of 13 – he was not in Delhi when Humayyun died.• His loyal general Behram Shah made him successor in Punjab.• By 1560 the kingdom gained strength and by 1587 he had conquered Kashmir and rooted out

other smaller dynasties and rulers.• He was a very capable ruler and divided his kingdom into 15 provinces.• Akbar encouraged literature, he liked to build huge building, he encouraged poetry.• He gave rights to Hindus and they were part of his government.• Initially he was pious Muslim, respected places of worship prayed regularly etc..• The scholars in his company were seen as narrow minded and they started to cause doubts in

his mind regarding Islam.• He found deen-e-ilahi (1582) – Akbar became Imam Adil, masoom.• He permitted alcohol, gambling, music in his court, slaughtering of cows became unlawful –

he abolished jizya – he did not deny Islam but wanted to bring Hindus and Muslims together.• He married a Hindu woman and allowed marriage between Muslims and mushriks.

Mujaddid Alf Thani – Shaykh Sirhindi said “Kufr is previaling in dar ul Islam and is making its laws here whilst Ahle-Islam are afraid of implementing their own laws.

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Noor u Din Muhammad Salim Jehanghir1605 - 1627

• Jahangir built on his father's foundations of excellent administration, and his reign was characterized by political stability, a strong economy and impressive cultural achievements.

• Continued with Akbars policy of religious tolerance.• Jahangir was fascinated with art, science and, architecture

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A'la Azad Abul Muzaffar Shahab ud-Din Mohammad Khurram – Shah Jahan (1627-1657)

• son of Emperor Jahanghir and his Hindu Rajput wife, • While young, Khurram was the favourite of his grandfather,

Akbar.• His time was peaceful he built a lot of buildings – Taj Mahal for

his wife Mumtaz Mahal.• His reign has been called the Golden Age of the Mughals and

one of the most prosperous ages of Indian civilization. • Like Akbar, he was eager to expand his vast empire. In 1658,

he fell ill and was confined by his son Emperor Aurangzeb in Agra Fort until his death in 1666.

• He was religious and was not an alcoholic.

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Muhiyyu Deen Mohammad Aurangzeb Alamghir(1657-1707)

(world-seizer or universe-seizer)

• The son of Shah Jahan born in 1616. • He was afforded the best scholars and teachers to educate him from a young age. • As a young boy, he became well-versed in the Quran, the science of Hadith, and other

aspects of Islamic sciences. • He was known as a very enthusiastic reader. • He read and wrote in Arabic, Persian, and Chagatai Turkic, the language of his ancestors. • He was also trained in the art of calligraphy. Some of his calligraphic works are still

in existence today.• Aurangzeb’s main achievement is implementation of Shariah.• As emperor, Aurangzeb enforced morals and banned the consumption, usage and

practices of: alcoholism, gambling, castration, servitude, eunuchs, music, and narcotics in the Mughal Empire.

• Mughal Empire reached its pinnacle at his time.• Amongst the wealthiest of the Mughal rulers with an annual yearly tribute of

£38,624,680 (in 1690).

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• During his lifetime, victories in the south expanded the Mughal Empire to more than 3.2 million square kilometres and he ruled over a population estimated as being in the range of 100-150 million subjects.

• He was a strong and effective ruler, but with his death the great period of the Mughal dynasty came to an end, and central control of the sub-continent declined rapidly.

• Aurangzeb took power before his father, Shah Jahan, had passed away. Despite the respect he had for his father, Aurangzeb vehemently disagreed with many of his fathers actions, considering them to be wasteful and extravagant. An example of his religious mindset was his criticism of the Taj Mahal, which was a tomb built by Shah Jahan for Aurangzeb’s mother, Mumtaz Mahal.

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• Aurangzeb considered it to be against the religious laws of Islam to build a structure over a grave, particularly one that was so ornate and expensive. He declared “the lawfulness of a solid construction over a grave is doubtful, and there can be no doubt about the extravagance involved.” He also made it a point to publicly oppose excessive veneration of the graves of Sufis, as he noted that it was developing into a cult-like practice, away from the beliefs and practices of Islam.

• In order to practice Islamic law in the empire - correctly, Aurangzeb insisted on compiling Islamic law into a codified book that could be much more easily followed. He thus brought together hundreds of scholars of Islam from all over the Muslim world to organize such laws. The result was a landmark text of fiqh (jurisprudence) in the Hanafi school, known as the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, meaning “The Religious Decrees of Alamgir”. It was known as the Fatawa al-Hindiya ( الهندية in the rest of the Muslim (الفتاوىworld and is well-respected as a compendium of Hanafi law.

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• Using the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri as a guidebook, Aurangzeb sent officials throughout the empire to enact Islamic law and end socially corrupt practices. As such, alcoholism, gambling, and prostitution were combated by the imperial government. Taxes that were not in line with Islamic law were also abolished, a policy that was very popular with the Mughal Empire’s subjects.

• To make up for the loss in tax revenue, Aurangzeb adopted a very simple lifestyle and did not live in a lavish manner as his father had. Royal traditions that he considered extravagant were abolished, such as court musicians and festivities on the emperor’s birthday.

• He sold copies of Quran and made caps to earn a living.• He considered treasury as the wealth of Muslims

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Destruction of temples• Aurangzeb noted that Islamically, temple desecration was not

permitted when in 1659 he wrote, “According to the Shariah, and the exalted creed, it has been established that ancient temples should not be torn down.”

• Accusation of destruction of temples – political decision.• There was not state policy of destruction of temples.

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• Using the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri as a guidebook, Aurangzeb sent officials throughout the empire to enact Islamic law and end socially corrupt practices. As such, alcoholism, gambling, and prostitution were combated by the imperial government. Taxes that were not in line with Islamic law were also abolished, a policy that was very popular with the Mughal Empire’s subjects.

• To make up for the loss in tax revenue, Aurangzeb adopted a very simple lifestyle and did not live in a lavish manner as his father had.

• Royal traditions that he considered extravagant were abolished, such as court musicians and festivities on the emperor’s birthday.

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Mughals (1526 – 1857)

• 315 Years – peak 1552-1719; In this period peace prevailed – riched the land in agriculture and industry – fruits, rice, textiles, silk, more than 1000 carpet factories in the time of Akbar.

• Sugar, swords industry• Built bridges, roads, masajid, fortresses

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Moghuls(1526-1540; 1552-1719; 1720-1858)

• It did not stamp out the local societies it came to rule, but rather balanced and pacified them through new administrative practices and diverse and inclusive ruling elites, leading to more systematic, centralised, and uniform rule.

• Mixing tribal bonds and Islamic identity, especially under Akbar, the Mughals united their far-flung realms through loyalty, expressed through a Persianised culture, to an emperor who had near-divine status.

• The Mughal state's economic policies, deriving most revenues from agriculture and mandating that taxes be paid in the well-regulated silver currency, caused peasants and artisans to enter larger markets.

• The relative peace maintained by the empire during much of the 17th century was a factor in India's economic expansion, resulting in greater patronage of paining, literary forms, textiles, and architecture

• Newly coherent social groups in northern and western India, such as the Marathas, the Rajputs, and the Skikhs, gained military and governing ambitions during Mughal rule, which, through collaboration or adversity, gave them both recognition and military experience.

• Expanding commerce during Mughal rule gave rise to new Indian commercial and political elites along the coasts of southern and eastern India.

• As the empire disintegrated, many among these elites were able to seek and control their own affairs.

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Muslim contribution –golden bird

• Tawheed• Respect for humanity• Rights of women, remarry and inheritance, human sacrifices• Controlled alcohol and gambling – both Muslims and hindus disliked

alcohol.• Education for all• Writing of history• The country prospered as under Mughals• All things that are necessary were available and very cheap• No other country in the world could compete with India during the

16th and 17th century.