Muslim rule in India was exercised on the basis of the sword and religion. The Muslim rulers, apart from ignoring a few aspects, never showed any trace of kindness, religious tolerance, cultural equality and social unity. They invariably praised the superiority and greatness of Muslim culture. These aspects have been greatly accepted by contemporary intellectuals and historians. Even today, the medieval thoughts and beliefs are popular among the Muslim intellectuals.
Beginning with the description of Arab land before the arrival of Islam, the author says that with the exception of Yemen in south, the entire land of Arabia was a desert land deprived of rainfall. Wandering tribes, in search of livelihood and food, used to travel in caravans from one place to another. They had to struggle for existence. The earliest Bedouins used to move with their camels while sailors used to visit India for the purpose of trade. Pilny even described the presence of 60 temples and the inhabitants had constituted a huge dam of merit and the civilisation was very advanced. But this dam was destroyed during massive flood and the life got unsettled. Due to this, Yemen lost its importance as a port.
Ibn-Bar, in his treatise entitled Oyen Akbar al-Hind van-Sindh says that Arabia was known as the abode of Lord Ram. In the south of Arabia at Rub-al-Kali description has been given of a town with 1,000 pillars or idols in Wabar area.
The author S.C. Mittal describes the temple of Makkeshwar at Mecca, which was essentially a well and served as the route for caravans to pass through.
Famous Arab poet, Abu Amin Abdul Asamai had praised King Vikramaditya of India saying that the whole of Arab land was engulfed in ignorance but it was King Vikramaditya who spread ?his sacred religion amongst us and the scholars from his own country.?
Islam came to India and Dar-ul-Uloom in Deoband is considered important for issuing fatwas. The first fatwa is available in 12 parts here. Islam then spread all over the world during Mohammad'srule itself. It is said that the first mosque was built with date leaves in Medina in June 632. While it took a century for Islam to reach the world, it took five centuries to enter India. It was after invasions by Mohamad Gori that Islam began to find its roots. While in north India, Islam was gradually entering on the strength of the sword, it spread in south India with the entry of Arab traders who established settlements along the coast.
While describing the period 1526-1857, the author vividly describes Mongol ruler Babur (1526-1530) who was basically a Turk related to the Taimur dynasty. He came to rule because of political instability and weakness of Hindu rulers. Here the author criticises Baburnama where Babur has said that India had very few attractions and neither its inhabitants were good looking and neither was ?the social interaction civilised.? Babur was followed by Humayun, who laid the first brick for establishing a new town Din-i-panah (which is the Old Fort in Delhi today). Akbar, who was the most tolerant of Muslim rulers, was succeeded by Jehangir, Shahjahan, Aurangzeb and Mughal rule.
It seems that the author'saim of writing this book is to show the highlights of Muslim rule in India which was essentially ?destructive? and where the rulers, instead of working for the welfare of the 80 per cent indigenous population were engaged in ?fanaticism, plunder, propagation of Islam and conversion to Islam.?
(Suruchi Prakashan, Keshav Kunj, Jhandewalan, New Delhi-110 055.)
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