The Coming of Islam to South Asia Chapter 7 (part 3 of 4)

India had long history of being invaded

India had more material culture than invaders, so most invaders wanted to assimilate

Most invaders converted to one of the 2 major religions at the time in India: Hinduism or Buddhism

Muslims Arrive In India (600s)

First time Indians invaded by civilization as advanced, or more advanced, than the Indians

Islam v. HinduIslam

Belief in one God (Allah)

Socially egalitarian – everyone considered

equals

More rigid than Hinduism

HinduismIdol worship

Socially hierarchy through Caste system

More tolerant than Islam, able to adapt

At 1st, interactions b/t Hindus and Muslims was

violent

But quickly became

peaceful, and most interaction

was peaceful

Muslims actually

used Hindus

(locals) to rule areas for them

India Before Muslim Invasion

Guptas fell in the 400s

Regional dynasties fought for control next 200 years

Harsha Builds an Empire

Leader of local dynasty, expanded it and built largest empire in India since the Gupta

Harsha’s empire had long period of peace and prosperity –built roads and hospitals

Kannauj – capital of empire, had big walls, huge homes, and garden with pools

Harsha’s Death

Harsha died in 646, and the kingdom fell apart due to internal fighting

India was no longer united, and that opened way for

Muslim invasions, beginning in 711

The Spark

Arab trading ship was attacked near

India (attackers from Indian state

of Sind)

Muslims respond and attack and

conquer Sind, led by Muhammad

ibn Qasim

Muhammad ibn Qasim

Islam Brings Little Change to India – At First

There was little effort by Muslims to convert Indians to Islam (remember, this is during Umayyad period)

Muslims respected the Brahman caste, and local leaders (Hindus) used by Muslims to help rule

Muslims were tolerant of local religions and promised low taxes, so many Indians did not resist their rule

Indian Culture Reaches the Middle East

Arabs learn algebra and geometry from

India

Indian doctors brought to Baghdad

to run hospitals

Arabs (Muslims) Move to India and Assimilate to Indian Culture

They wore Indian clothing Leaders rode elephants like Hindu leaders

They ate Indian foods

2nd Wave of Muslim Invasions

Other than Sindh, Muslims took very little

land in India

962 – A 2nd wave of invasions by Muslims into India occurs, and

Muslim rule gets stronger

Mahmud of GhazniTurkish slave and leader of Afghanistan

Conquered much of India to spread Islam

and gain wealth

Began 200 year Muslim rule in

north India

Muslim ruler who took over after

Mahmud of Ghazni assassinated in

1206

Next 300 years, Muslims ruled

north and central India

Made Delhi the capital, show

Muslims wanted central India too

Able to conquer almost all of north

India

Muhammad of Ghur

Muslim Control of India under Muhammad of Ghur

Leaders were called Sultans

of Delhi

Built large armies with cavalries on

elephants, like local Hindus

Built large bureaucracy,,

and tried making money off the people

Muslims used Hindus to help rule, so never

got too powerful

Most Indians not forced to convert, and few in

areas that Muslims ruled converted (shows it

wasn’t focus of Muslims) Islam spread by merchants and sufis, and

there was a lot of intermarriage, which led

to people converting

Many converts became Muslim to avoid paying extra taxes, such as the

tax on non-believers (jizya)

Most converts came from Buddhism, or from low-caste Hindus who liked

that Islam preached egalitarianism (equality)

Conversions

Islam Had Little Impact on Hinduism

While many converted to Islam, Islam had little

impact on Hinduism

High-caste Hindus disliked Muslims (they were corrupting minds

of low-caste Hindus)

Mostly Hindus and Muslims lived

separately and were not friends

Muslims In India Adopt Hierarchy System

Recent

Musli

ms

arrivals

High-caste Hindu converts

Artisans and merchants

Low-caste Hindu converts

Muslims become

divided along caste lines

Example of why Indians thought Muslims would absorb into the

culture and not be threat

Women’s Status Decline as Muslims Come to India

Muslims Adopt Some Hindu Practices That Are Bad for Women

Marrying at young age

Forbid widows

from remarrying

Sati – widows

jump into fire of

cremated husband

Hindus Realize Muslims A Threat

Despite this, Hindus saw Muslims were not

going to adopt Hinduism,

Muslims in India adopted much of the

culture

Hindus realize that Muslims pose a threat,

unlike past invaders who were assimilated

into Indian culture

Kabir

Muslim mystic who downplayed the difference b/t Islam and Hinduism, but efforts like his usually unsuccessful in

uniting the 2 religions

BhaktiBhakti = Hindu

cults, membership open to all

(including women and untouchables)

that were very popular

Bhakti cults so popular that many didn’t convert to

Islam

Used dances and even drugs to reach

intoxification needed for salvation

Famous Hindu poet

Mira Bai

Showed openness of Bhakti cults to women

Hindus and Muslims Remain Apart

Brahmans saw Muslims as threat and

denounced them

Hindu mystics tried to re-convert Indians

back to Hinduism

Muslim ulama rejected attempts like Kabir’s to fuse

the 2 religions, remain rigid

Despite many Indians being ruled by

Muslims, most Indians don’t convert to Islam

Indians believed Muslims would eventually be absorbed into

Hinduism