THE ISLAMIC BLUNDER

THE ISLAMIC BLUNDER

WHY AND HOW ISLAM CEASED TO BE THE DOMINANT POLITICAL FORCE IN THE INDIAN SUB CONTINENT

The story of Islam in India forms a very interesting reading. Though the far western frontier of India (Sindh) had come under Muslim influence way back in the 8th century A.D., but for all practical purposes India was started to have been politically Islamicized only after the conquest by Mehmood of Ghazni which took place around 10th- 11th century A.D.

In 1192 Prithvi Raj Chauhan lost the battle of Tarain against Mohammad Ghori which was followed by a series of Rajput and Indian defeats paving the way for a de-facto Islamic India. It was a very unique situation, the land which was called The Land of the Hindus or Hindustan was ruled by the invading community which was numerically very small. For the next 700-800 years or so Islam continued to be the dominant political force in the Indian Sub Continent.

The Indian nation was by en large ruled by Islamic laws, with orthodoxy being practiced by nearly all the rulers with some exceptions but in some cases the degree of fanaticism was too extreme manifesting itself in the massive destruction of Hindu temples and mass conversion of local religionists. Gradually, but consistently and systematically the Muslim population increased and swelled.

The dramatic change came with the arrival of the Britishers. The revolt of 1857 would prove to be a turning point in the fortunes of Indian Islam. In 1885, the Indian National Congress was formed which heralded the birth of Indian (largely Hindu) nationalism. It became clear, sooner rather than later, to the Muslim theologians, communalists, and nationalists that India would soon be a nation in a true western sense which would be ruled and administered by the majority community.

They saw Muslim losing their pre-eminence over the Indian sub continent as inevitable and imminent. This raised the alarm and led to the feeling that the community had a hopeless future in a Hindu governed India. This culminated in the formation of Indian Muslim League.

What went wrong?

In any democratic society the major power has to and should wrest with the majority community. India was transforming from a medieval monarchy into a modern social democracy. It should have been the foresight of the Muslim leaders, they should have accepted this transition and continued to be a part of united India which would have given the community a better access to resources, opportunities and would have earned them repute and made them look progressive and modern, but only the contrary happened.

They panicked and demanded a separate homeland for the Muslims. This would eventually lead to the tri-section of the Muslims of this land into Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indian Muslims.

While 95% of Hindus reside in India which has made this country a stronger Hindu nation. Thus we can finally say that the partition of India divided the Muslims hopelessly while keeping the Hindus under one umbrella.

The moral to be learn is that it is in the interest of minority community to integrate into the national mainstream and influence the political leadership in the creation of a more, better, diverse- secular-plural nation.

                                                                                  X X X