Today, Indian Muslims, if not to mention Kashmir, which is a disputed territory, live a relatively calm life. However, the history of Islam in India is long and dramatic. The first of the Muslims who appeared in this country were Arabs who sailed here by sea in merchant ships. Since the end of the 7th century, they began to settle on the Indian coast. They and Indians converted to Islam formed a community on the Malabar coast. The history and current state of Islam in India will be discussed in an article.
The emergence and spread
In the north-west of the country, the Muslim religion began to penetrate during the period of Arab conquests. This time is called the Islamic period in the history of India. It lasted from the end of the VII to the end of the XVIII century.
It includes the history of Islamic sultanates and Hindu states parallel to them, which lasted until the British colonization, as well as the history of the Marathi who fought against the British and Muslims.
Full acceptance
The full adoption of Islam occurred in the IX-XI centuries. in the territory of modern Pakistan. Initially, in the Ganges Valley and on the Hindustan Peninsula, the population was not yet affected by Islam. But the coastal inhabitants began to get to know him through Arab merchants.
Until 1001, its influence was still insignificant. Then came the raids of Mahmoud Ghazni on the subcontinent, he destroyed Somnath and captured Punjab. The next Islamization war took place between 1526 and 1858. Then power in North India was seized by the Turkic, Persian and Mongol warriors who came here.
Quranic Requirements
The Muslim commandments that are set forth in it explained to the newly converted Indians the essence of this religion. Its meaning is following the will and laws of Allah. To become a true believer, it is necessary to assimilate and imbue with the assertion that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet. And also need:
- To pray five times a day, turning to face Mecca.
- Perform Friday prayer with everyone in the mosque.
- Invest in a community part of their wealth.
- Give alms to the poor.
- Observe fasting in Ramadan.
- Make a pilgrimage to the prophet’s homeland, to Mecca.
- Do not drink wine or eat pork.
In addition to the presentation in the Qur'an, Muslim truths that the faithful must follow are reflected in the Sunnah. This source of Islam tells of the actions of the Prophet Muhammad, contains his statements.
For the purposes of social self-realization
The indicated Muslim truths were primarily most actively perceived by the most disadvantaged strata of the Hindu population. Thus, they hoped to overcome the strict prohibitions and caste restrictions that existed in traditional society, and the social realization of the individual. Massively, Islam was adopted by poor peasants from the Ganges delta, on the territory of modern Bangladesh.
As for the city elite and the merchants, they had their own thoughts on the transition to another religion. This could facilitate their access to the court of local Muslim emirs, who now represented the new regional elite.
How many Muslims are there in India?
After the European invasions of India, the spread of Islam from the end of the 18th century began to be limited. His prestige weakened, and his influence began to fade. However, in a number of independent regions, even after the partition of the country in 1949, Muslim communities remained. Since then, due to demographic reasons, their number has increased.
Today, Islam is the second largest religion in India after Hinduism. The share of Muslims in the country's total population is approaching 14%, which is about 165 million people. Indian Muslims in their absolute numbers are second only to co-religionists living in Indonesia and Pakistan. The proportion of Muslim practitioners in the country's population is steadily increasing, and this often leads to contradictions with the Hindu population.
Most of the representatives of Islam in India are people of local, Indo-Aryan origin. There is only a small influx of genes from Central Asia and Iran. Muslims are given the right to follow Islamic laws. The government provides subsidies to partially cover the cost of airline tickets purchased by those who perform the hajj.
Some indicators of living standards
The Muslim population of the country is characterized by a rather low literacy rate. After political power was lost in favor of the British, and then representatives of Hinduism, Muslim incomes plummeted. Most of them began to concentrate in the old city blocks, which had a worn-out infrastructure and were called Islamic ghettos.
Their women, on average in the country, give birth to one child more than that of Hindus. For the former, this indicator is 3.7, and for the latter, 2.7. The emigration flow of this part of the population is insignificant. This is due to limited access to education and poor participation in economic life. This is especially true for women. According to statistics, from 1991 to 2001, the number of Hindus increased by about 20%, while the number of Muslims by almost 30%.
Impact on culture
Islam has a very big impact on the life and culture of India. This fully applies to her literature, architecture, music and social structure. Their modern forms were acquired under the direct influence of Islamic culture.
Muslims live in almost all states of India. Most of them are in Delhi, as well as in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, in other areas that in ancient times were part of the Delhi Sultanate. One of the most important manifestations of Islam is the mosques in India, which are scattered throughout the country.
They are examples of grace and grandeur, which at the same time looks very solid. The largest of these is the Friday Mosque in Delhi. Every week, on Fridays, the streets that adjoin it are filled with a motley variety of believers going to the obligatory prayer.
Particularly outstanding monuments are located in Agra, as well as in Janupur and some other cities. The recognized unsurpassed masterpiece of painting and architecture is the Taj Mahal.
Mausoleum Mosque
This type of structure is the Taj Mahal. On a map of India, it can be found in the city of Agra, on the banks of the Jamna River. It was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the padishah who led the Baburid Empire. He is a descendant of Tamerlane. A mausoleum dedicated to the memory of Padishah’s wife, whose name was Mumtaz Mahal, is dedicated. She died when she gave birth to a fourteenth child. The ruler himself is buried here.
Who was the architect of this creation is not known for certain. Sometimes it is attributed to Isa Khan Efendi, a famous architect from Persia. Others are of the opinion that this was another master of Persian descent, Ustad Ahmadu Lahore, who lived in India. There is a third version, according to which the mausoleum is the work of Jeronimo Veroneo, an Italian jeweler who lived in Agra. Construction time - 1630-1653.
The Taj Mahal is considered the best example of architecture consistent with the Mughal style. It combines elements of such architectural styles as Indian, Persian and Arabic. In 1983, UNESCO recognized it as a World Heritage Site, calling it a pearl of the art of Muslims in India, which expresses admiration throughout the world.
The mausoleum is a structure whose height is 74 meters along with the platform. It has five domes, four minarets in the corners. In order not to damage the tomb in case of destruction, the minarets have a slight inclination to the side of it. Adjacent to the mosque is a garden with a pool and fountains.
The walls consist of translucent polished marble, which was brought to the construction site from a distance of 300 km. They have inlaid gems. Among them are such as carnelian, turquoise, malachite, agate and others. Marble has one feature. At different times of the day, its color visually changes. By day, in bright light, it is white, during the morning and evening dawn it is pink, and on a moonlit night it is silver.
Interaction phenomena
As a result of the long period of coexistence of the Hindu culture and the culture of Islam in India, the traditions of both religions overlapped each other. As a result, phenomena have arisen that still play an important role in the modern life of countries such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Firstly, it is the Hindustani language. It appeared as a result of entering into the Indian dialects of many borrowings from the Persian language. For a long time, he played the role of interfaith neutral sublingual form.
Secondly, these are Islamic castes. They are not provided for by the Qur'an, but actually exist. They are a milder option than the Hindu caste system.