Muslim rule

1.Arab traders

Maalik bin Dinar (RA) and Cheraman Perumal, the ruler of Cranganore, establish first Muslim
community in the life time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Other Muslim communities established along coastal areas (Quilon,Cambay, Chaul, Honawar,
Nawayat, Konkan (Bombay), Tinnevelly (Madras) and along the Bay of Bengal.

2.Muhammad bin Qasim

Dahir’s provocations- refuge to Muslim rebels and piracy

End of 711 CE Muslim armies start conquest of Sindh and parts of Punjab upto Multan.

Brahmanabad Treaty

I. Hindus were to be treated as the people of the Book ie, dhimmies (the protected).
II. Hindus and Budhists could maintain their places of worship.
III. Everyone was free to worship according to his religious beliefs.
IV. 3% share from the revenue of the government was to be given to the priests as was the
practice before.
V. Locals were employed to collect taxes, which were of fixed amounts, to protect people
from oppression.
VI. People were free to carry out commerce activities or join any profession.
VII. Officers of previous regime were re-employed and honoured which made them
collaborators in the task of administration.

3.Abbasids and the Hindus

Intellectual relations
Indian scholars were invited to Baghdad. Sanskrit books were translated into Arabic
belonging to fields of astronomy, medicines, pharmacology and stories etc. Games and
music were also mutually shared. Accounts of Masudi and Ibn Haukal (915 CE and 920
CE) tell of excellent relations between the locals and the Arabs.
4.10th Centuary onwards.
Ghaznavids, Ghurids upto the Mughals.

711–713 Conquest of Sind and Multan by Muhammad ibn Qasim.

998–1030 Reign of Mahmud of Ghazni. Raids on India.

1151 Rise of Ghuri empire.

1206–1210 Aibak, first sultan of Delhi and founder of the Slave dynasty, 1206–1290.

1211–1236 Reign of Iltutmish.

1266–1287 Reign of Balban.

1290–1320 The Khalji dynasty.

1320- 1413 The Tughluq dynasty

1414–1451 The Sayyid dynasty.

1451–1526 The Lodi dynasty.

Mughals

1526–
Reign of Babur
1530

1530- 1540 First period of Humayun

 1540–
The Sur dynasty.
1555

155
Second Battle of Panipat: Humayun regains power.
6

1556–1605  Reign of Akbar.

1605–1627 Reign of Jahangir.

1627–1658  Reign of Shah Jahan.

1658–
Reign of Aurangzeb.
1707

1707- 1712 Bahadur Shah (Moazzam)

(Jahandar Shah for a brief period)

1713–
Reign of Farrukhsiyar.
1719

1719–
Reign of Muhammad Shah
1748

1748–1754 Ahmad Shah

1754- 1759 Alamgir II

1759–1806  Reign of Shah Alam II.

 1806–1837  Reign of Akbar Shah II.

1837–1858 Reign of Bahadur Shah II.

5.Causes of decline

I. Neglected education.
Importance to mental sciences only (logic, philosophy and scholastic theology).
Little importance to natural sciences (chemistry, physics, biology etc).
No state level control over curriculum, examinations and evaluation of standards.
Darse Nizamiya introduced in 18th century only emphasized on grammar, rhetoric, logic,
philosophy, tafseer, jurisprudence, hadith and mathematics.

2. Ignored printing of books.

No printing press was installed by Muslim rulers which resulted in limited number of
books.

3. Neglected military technology.

Babur introduced use of gun powder but no further development was made. They hired
foreigners for use of artillery guns. Portuguese brought ships with cannons to which
mughals had no answer.

4. Moral and physical decay of rulers and upper classes.

Got away from religion, went low on morality, became fond of luxuries.
Officers showed lack of discipline, laziness, evasion of duties and treacherous conduct
became rapacious and corrupt.
5. Absence of well defined laws of succession.
Decision of next ruler was made by war amongst princes in many cases.
Many officers and soldiers lost lives.
Secret plans were made even before the death of a king.
Non Muslims were also made part of intrigues which strengthened them.

6. Misuse of authority by Mansabdars.

Total of 33 grades. Paid for their services.
Higher grades were responsible for maintaining a fixed number of soldiers with
weapons and animals.
After some time they demanded and got best lands for this, depriving farmers and
causing less production of food and low revenue.

7. Kings showed no enthusiasm towards Islam and its regulations.

Except few kings others followed their own lusts, like Akbar etc.
Islam was served more by scholars and saints.
As a result Islam spread in areas away from centre of power.

8. Attacks from outside before arrival of Europeans.

1398 by Taimur. 1739 by Nadir Shah Afshar. 1756 – 1757 by Ahmad Shah Abdali.
All resulted in killing of thousands of local soldiers.

9. Non Muslims gained strength with weakening of mughal power.

Rajputs rose at Malwa, Gujrat and Rajasthan.
Sikhs rose in Punjab.
Marathas were active in Maharashtra and Deccan.
Jats were active in areas of eastern Punjab, Rajasthan and parts of Western UP.

10. Waves of European nations invade sub-continent with modern weapons and control
over seas.
Portuguese, Dutch, British and French fought for supremacy in which British came out as
the victors.
Book Recommended
Muslim Civilization in India
By
S.M. Ikram