Islamic Destruction of Hindu Temples
For those who don’t believe or do not know of the amount of destruction that took place in India at the hands of the Muslim invaders and Islamic rulers who established themselves in parts of India, we can review the Islamic chronicles of the deeds of these rulers of the day, as written by the Muslim contemporary writers or historians. So what follows is a review of some of the books and their authors who recorded the histories of the Islamic rulers, and quotes from some of the descriptions within them about the cities they attacked and the temples they destroyed. It really shows how demoniac and cruel these rulers were.
The evidence of destruction of thousands of Hindu temples can be primarily
found from two different sources:
1. Literary
Evidence from the work of renowned Islamic historians
2.
Epigraphic Evidence from the inscriptions on numerous
Mosques all over
India.
This article
deals with only the literary evidence.
Hundreds of Muslim historians have glorified the deeds of their Muslim
heroes all over India. This by no means is an exhaustive list! To
learn more about this, please read both volumes of, Hindu Temples: What
Happened To Them? by
Sita Ram Goel.
There is
elaborate literary evidence from the Islamic sources which glorify the
crimes committed by the Muslims in India. Crimes such as the desecration of
the Hindu idols, looting of the temples, killing devotees and raping have
been well documented by the Muslim historians themselves. They have done so
because according to them these Muslim rulers by doing such deeds were
following the tenets of Islam and Sunnah of the
prophet Mohammed. The literary evidence stated below is in chronological
order with reference to the time at which a particular work was written.
1. Name Of The Book:
Hindustan
Islami Ahad
Mein
(India under Islamic Rule)
Name Of The Historian:
Maulana Abdul Hai.
About The Author:
He is a highly respected scholar and taken as an authority on Islamic
history. Because of his scholarship and his services to Islam,
Maulana Abdul Hai
was appointed as the Rector of the Darul
Nadwa Ullum
Nadwatal-Ulama. He continued in that post till
his death in February 1923.
The following section is
taken from the chapter Hindustan ki
Masjidein (The mosques of India) of the above
mentioned book. Here we can see a brief description of few important mosques
in India and how each one of them was built upon plundered Hindu temples.
a. Qawwat al-Islam Mosque at Delhi: "According
to my findings the first mosque of Delhi is Qubbat
al-Islam or Quwwat al-Islam which,
Qutubud-Din Aibak
constructed in H. 587 after demolishing the Hindu temple built by
Prithvi Raj and
leaving certain parts of the temple outside the mosque proper; and when he
returned from Ghazni in H. 592 he started
building, under orders from Shihabud-Din
Ghori, a huge mosque of inimitable red stones,
and certain parts of the temple were included in the mosque..."
b. The Mosque at Jaunpur: "This was built by
Sultan Ibrahim Sharqi
with chiseled stones. Originally it was a Hindu temple after demolishing
which he constructed the mosque. It is known as the
Atala Masjid."
c. The Mosque at Qanauj: "It is well
known that this mosque was built on the foundations of some Hindu temple
that stood here. The mosque was built by Ibrahim
Sharqi in H. 809 as is recorded in
Gharbat Nigar."
d. Jami Masjid at
Etwah: "This mosque stands on the bank of the
Jamuna at Etawah.
There was a Hindu temple at this place, on the site of which this mosque was
constructed. ."
e. Babri Masjid at
Ayodhya: "This mosque was constructed by
Babar at Ayodhya
which Hindus call the birth place of Ramchandraji...
Sita had a temple here in which she lived and
cooked for her husband. On that very site Babar
constructed this mosque in H.963 "
f. Mosque at Benaras: "Mosque of
Benares was built by
Alamgir Aurangzeb on the site of
Bisheshwar
Temple. That temple was very tall and held as holy among Hindus. On this
very site and with those very stones he constructed a lofty mosque, and its
ancient stones were rearranged after being embedded in the walls of the
mosque. It is one of the renowned mosques of Hindustan."
g. Mosque at
Mathura:
"Alamgir Aurangzeb
built a mosque at
Mathura.
This mosque was built on site of the
Govind
Dev Temple which was very strong and beautiful as well as exquisite."
2. Name
Of The Book:
Futuhu'l-Buldan
Name Of
The Historian: Ahmed bin Yahya bin
Jabir
About The
Author: This author is also known as al-Biladhuri.
He lived at the court of Khalifa Al-Mutawakkal
(AD 847-861) and died in AD 893. His history is one of the major Arab
chronicles.
The Muslim
Rulers He Wrote About:
a. Ibn Samurah (AD
653)
Siestan (Iran)
"On reaching Dawar, he surrounded the enemy in
the mountain of
Zur,
where there was a famous Hindu temple." "...Their idol of
Zur was of gold, and its eyes were two rubies.
The zealous Musalmans cut off its hands and
plucked out its eyes, and then remarked to the Marzaban
how powerless was his idol..."
b. Qutaibah bin Muslim al-Bahili
(AD 705-715)
Samarkand (Farghana)
"Other authorities say that Kutaibah granted
peace for 700,000 dirhams and entertainment for
the Moslems for three days. The terms of surrender included also the houses
of the idols and the fire temples. The idols were thrown out, plundered of
their ornaments and burned..."
c. Mohammed bin Qasim (AD 712-715)
Debal (Sindh)
"...The town was thus taken by assault, and the carnage endured for three
days. The governor of the town, appointed by Dahir,
fled and the priests of the temple were massacred. Muhammad marked a place
for the Musalmans to dwell in, built a mosque,
and left 4,000 Musalmans to garrison the
place..."
"...Ambissa son of Ishak
Az Zabbi, the
governor of Sindh, in the
Khilafat of Mu'tasim
billah knocked down the upper part of the minaret of the temple and
converted it into a prison..."
Multan (Punjab)
"...He then crossed the Biyas, and went towards
Multan...Muhammad destroyed the water-course;
upon which the inhabitants, oppressed with thirst, surrendered at
discretion. He massacred the men capable of bearing arms, but the children
were taken captive, as well as ministers of the temple, to the number of
6,000. The Musalmans found there much gold in a
chamber ten cubits long by eight broad..."
d. Hasham bin 'Amru
al-Taghlabi
Khandahar (Maharashtra)
"He then went to Khandahar in boats and
conquered it. He destroyed the Budd (idol) there, and built in its place a
mosque."
3. Name
Of The Book:
Tarikh-i-Tabari
Name Of
The Historian: Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin
Jarir at-Tabari
About The
Author: This author is considered to be the foremost historian of Islam.
The above mentioned book written by him is regarded as the mother of
histories.
The Muslim
Rulers He Wrote About:
a. Qutaibah bin Muslim al-Bahili
(AD 705-715)
Beykund (Khurasan)
"The ultimate capture of Beykund (in AD 706)
rewarded him with an incalculable booty; even more than had hitherto fallen
into the hands of the Mohammedans by the conquest of the entire province of
Khorassaun; and the unfortunate merchants of the
town, having been absent on a trading excursion while their country was
assailed by the enemy, and finding their habitations desolate on their
return contributed further to enrich the invaders, by the ransom which they
paid for the recovery of their wives and children. The ornaments alone, of
which these women had been plundered, being melted down, produce, in gold,
150,000 meskals; of a dram and a half each.
Among the articles of the booty, is also described an image of gold, of
50,000 meskals, of which the eyes were two
pearls, the exquisite beauty and magnitude of which excited the surprise and
admiration of Kateibah. They were transmitted by
him, with a fifth of the spoil to Hejauje,
together with a request that he might be permitted to distribute, to the
troops, the arms which had been found in the palace in great profusion."
Samarkand (Farghana)
"A breach was, however, at last effected in the walls of the city in AD 712
by the warlike machines of Kateibah; and some of
the most daring of its defenders having fallen by the skill of his archers,
the besieged demanded a cessation of arms to the following day, when they
promised to capitulate. The request was acceded to the
Kateibah; and a treaty was the next day accordingly concluded between
him and the prince of Samarkand, by which the
latter engaged for the annual payment of ten million of
dhirems, and a supply of three thousand slaves; of whom it was
particularly stipulated, that none should either be in a state of infancy,
or ineffective from old age and debility. He further contracted that the
ministers of his religion should be expelled from their temples and their
idols destroyed and burnt; that Kateibah should
be allowed to establish a mosque in the place of the principal temple...."
"...Kateibah accordingly set
set fire to the whole collection with his own
hands; it was soon consumed to ashes, and 50,000
meskals of gold and silver, collected from the nails which had been
used in the workmanship of the images."
b.. Yaqub bin Laith
(AD 870-871)
Balkh and Kabul
(Afghanistan)
"He took Bamian, which he probably reached by
way of Herat, and then marched on
Balkh
where he ruined (the temple) Naushad. On his way
back from Balkh he attacked Kabul..."
"Starting from Panjhir, the place he is known to
have visited, he must have passed through the capital city of the Hindu
Sahis to rob the sacred temple -- the reputed
place of coronation of the Sahi rulers -- of its
sculptural wealth..."
"The exact details of the spoil collected from Kabul valley are lacking. The
Tarikh [-i-Sistan]
records 50 idols of gold and silver and Mas'udi
mentions elephants. The wonder excited in Baghdad by
baghdad
by elephants and pagan idols forwarded to the Caliph by
Ya'qub also speaks for their high value."
4. Name
Of The Book:
Tarikhu'l-Hind
Name Of
The Historian: Abu Rihan Muhammad bin Ahmad
al-Biruni al-Khwarizmi.
About The
Author: This author spent 40 years in India during the reign of Sultan
Mahmud of Ghazni (AD
997 - 1030). His history treats of the literature and learning of the Hindus
at the commencement of the 11th century.
The Muslim
Rulers He Wrote About:
a. Jalam ibn
Shaiban (9th century AD)
Multan (Punjab)
"A famous idol of theirs was that of
Multan,
dedicated to the sun, and therefore called Aditya.
It was of wood and covered with red Cordovan leather; in its two eyes were
two red rubies. It is said to have been made in the last
Kritayuga
.....When Muhammad Ibn
Alkasim Ibn
Almunaibh conquered Multan,
he inquired how the town had become so very flourishing and so many
treasures had there been accumulated, and then he found out that this idol
was the cause, for there came pilgrims from all sides to visit it. Therefore
he thought it best to have the idol where it was, but he hung a piece of
cow's flesh on its neck by way of mockery. On the same place a mosque was
built. When the Karmatians occupied
Multan,
Jalam Ibn
Shaiban, the usurper,
broke the idol into pieces and killed its priests..."
b. Sultan Mahmud of Gazni
(AD 997-1030)
Thanesar (Haryana)
"The city of
Taneshar
is highly venerated by Hindus. The idol of that place is called
Cakrasvamin, i.e. the owner of the chakra, a
weapon which we have already described. It is of bronze, and is nearly the
size of a man. It is now lying in the hippodrome in
Ghazna, together with the Lord of Somnath,
which is a representation of the penis of the Mahadeva,
called Linga."
Somnath (Gujrat)
"The linga he raised was the stone of
Somnath, for soma means the moon and
natan means master, so that the whole word means
master of the moon. The image was destroyed by the Prince
Mahmud, may God be merciful to him! --AH 416. He
ordered the upper part to be broken and the remainder to be transported to
his residence, Ghaznin, with all its coverings
and trappings of gold, jewels, and embroidered garments. Part of it has been
thrown into the hippodrome of the town, together with
Cakrasvamin, an idol of bronze, that had
been brought from Taneshar. Another part of the
idol from Somnath lies before the door of the
mosque of Ghaznin, on which people rub their
feet to clean them from dirt and wet."
5. Name
Of The Book:
Kitabu'l-Yamini
Name Of
The Historian: Abu Nasr Muhammad
ibn Muhammad al
Jabbaru'l-Utbi.
About The
Author: This author's work comprises the whole of the reign of
Subuktigin and that of Sultan
Mahmud down to the year AD 1020.
The Muslim
Rulers He Wrote About:
a. Amir
Sbuktigin Of
Ghazni
Lamghan (Afghanistan)
"The Amir marched out towards
Lamghan, which is a city celebrated for its
great strength and abounding wealth. He conquered it and set fire to the
places in its vicinity which were inhabited by infidels, and demolishing
idol temples, he established Islam in them. He marched and captured other
cities and killed the polluted wretches, destroying the idolaters and
gratifying the Musulmans."
b. Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni
(AD 997-1030)
Narain (Rajasthan)
"The
Sultan again resolved on an expedition to Hind, and marched towards
Narain, urging his horses and moving over
ground, hard and soft, until he came to the middle of Hind, where he reduced
chiefs, who, up to that time obeyed no master, overturned their idols, put
to the sword the vagabonds of that country, and with delay and
circumspection proceeded to accomplish his design..."
Nardin (Punjab)
"After the Sultan had purified Hind from idolatry, and raised mosques
therein, he determined to invade the capital of Hind to punish those who
kept idols and would not acknowledge the unity of God...He marched with a
large army in the year AH 404 (AD 1013) during a dark night..."
"A stone was found there in the temple of the great
Budda on which an inscription was written purporting that the temple
had been founded 50,000 years ago. The Sultan was surprised at the ignorance
of these people, because those who believe in the true faith represent that
only seven hundred years have elapsed since the creation of the world, and
the signs of resurrection are even now approaching. The Sultan asked his
wise men the meaning of this inscription and they all concurred in saying
that it was false, and no faith was to be put in the evidence of a stone."
Thanesar (Haryana)
"The chief of Tanesar was...obstinate in his
infidelity and denial of God. So the Sultan marched against him with his
valiant warriors, for the purpose of planting the standards of Islam and
extirpating idolatry.."
"The blood of the infidels flowed so copiously, that the stream was
discoloured, not withstanding its purity, and
people were unable to drink it...The victory gained by God's grace, who has
established Islam for ever as the best religions, notwithstanding that
idolaters revolt against it...Praise be to God, the protector of the world,
for the honour he bestows upon Islam and
Musulmans."
Mathura (Uttar
Pradesh)
"The Sultan then departed from the environs of the city, in which was a
temple of the Hindus. The name of this place was
Mahartul Hind... On both sides of the city there were a thousand
houses, to which idol temples were attached, all strengthened from top to
bottom by rivets of iron, and all made of masonry work..."
"In the middle of the city there was a temple larger and firmer than the
rest, which can neither be described nor painted. The Sultan thus wrote
respecting it: --'If any should wish to construct a building equal to this,
he would not be able to do it without expending an 100,000,000 red
dinars, and it would occupy 200 years even
though the most experience and able workmen were employed'... The Sultan
gave orders that all temples should be burnt with
naptha and fire, and levelled with the
ground."
Kanauj (Uttar Pradesh)
"In Kanauj there were nearly 10,000 temples,
which the idolaters falsely and absurdly represented to have been founded by
their ancestors two or three hundred thousand years ago...Many of the
inhabitants of the place fled and were scattered abroad like so many
wretched widows and orphans, from the fear which oppressed them, in
consequence of witnessing the fate of their deaf and dumb idols. Many of
them thus effected their escape, and those who
did not fly were put to death."
6. Name Of The Book:
Diwan-i-Salman
Name Of The Historian:
Khawajah Masud bin
Sa'd bin Salman
About The Author:
Khawajah Masud bin
Sa'd bin Salman was
a poet. He wrote poems in praise of the Ghaznavid
Sultans-Masu'd, Ibrahim
and Bahram Shah. He died sometime
between AD 1126 and 1131.
The Muslim Rulers He
Wrote About:
a. Sultan Abu'l Muzaffar
Ibrahim (AD 1059-1099)
"As power and the strength of a lion was bestowed upon
Ibrahim by the Almighty, he made over to him the well-populated
country of Hindustan and gave him 40,000 valiant horsemen to take the
country, in which there were more than 1000 rais...The
army of the king destroyed at one time a thousand temples of idols, which
had each been built for more than a thousand years. How can I describe the
victories of the King..."
Jalandhar (Punjab)
"The narrative of any battles eclipses the stories of
Rustam and Isfandiyar... By morning meal,
not one soldier, not one Brahmin remained unkilled
or uncaptured. Their heads were
levelled with the ground with flaming fire… Thou
has secured the victory to the country and to
religion, for amongst the Hindus this achievement will be remembered till
the day of resurrection. "
Malwa (Madhya Pradesh)
"…On this journey, the army destroyed a thousand idol-temples and thy
elephants trampled over more than a hundred strongholds. Thou didst march
thy army to
Ujjain…
The lip of infidelity became dry through fear of thee, the eye of
plural-worship became blind..."
7. Name Of The Book:
Chach-Namah
Name Of The Historian: Mohammed Al bin Hamid
bin Abu Bakr Kufi
About The Author: The Persian history was translated from Arabic by
the above mentioned author in the time of Nasiruddin
Qabacha, a slave of Mohammed
Ghori.
The Muslim Rulers He Wrote About:
a. Mohammed bin Qasim (AD 712-715)
Siwistan and Sisam (Sindh)
Mohammed bin Qasem wrote to al-Hajjaj,
the governor of Iraq:
"The forts of Siwistan and
Sism have been already taken. The nephew of
Dahir, his warriors and principal officers have been dispatched, and
infidels converted to Islam or destroyed. Instead of idol temples, mosques
and other places of worship have been built, pulpits have been erected, the
Khutba is read, the
call to prayers is raised so that devotions are performed at sacred hours."
Multan (Punjab)
"Mohammed Qasem arose and with his counselors,
guards and attendants, went to the temple. He saw there an idol made of
gold, and its two eye were bright red rubies...
Muhammed Qasem
ordered the idol to be taken up. Two hundred and thirty ‘mans’ of gold were
brought to the treasury together with the gems and pearls and treasures
which were obtained from the plunder of
Multan."
8. Name Of The Book:
Jamiu'l-Hikayat
Name Of The Historian: Maulana
Nuruddin Muhammed `Ufi
About The Author: The author was born in or near the city of
Bukhara
in Transoxiana. He came to India and lived in
Delhi for some time in the reign of Shamsu'd-Din
Iltutmish (AD 1210-1236)
The Muslim Rulers He Wrote About:
a. Amru bin Laith
(AD 879-900)
Sakawand (Afghanistan)
"It is related that Amru
Lais conferred the governorship of Zabulistan
on Fardaghan and sent him there at the head of
four thousand horses. There was a large Hindu place of worship in that
country, which was called Sakawand and
people used to come on pilgrimage from the most
remote parts of Hindustan to the idols of that place. When
Fardaghan arrived in
Zabulistan he led his army against it, took the temple, broke the
idols in pieces and overthrew the idolaters... "
9. Name Of The Book:
Taju'l-Ma'sir
Name Of The Historian: Sadru'd-Din
Muhammed Hasan
Nizamii
About The Author: The author was born at
Nishapur in Khurusan. He had to leave his
ancestral place because of the Mongol invasion. He came to India and started
writing his history in AD 1205.
The Muslim Rulers He Wrote About:
a. Sultan Muhammed Ghuri
(AD 1175-1206)
Ajmer
(Rajasthan)
"He destroyed the pillars and foundations of the idol temples and built in
their stead mosques and colleges, and the precepts of Islam, and the customs
of the law were divulged and established. .."
Kuhram and Samana
(Punjab)
"The Government of the fort of Kohram and
Samana were made over by the Sultan to
Kutuu-din. He purged by his sword the land of
Hind from the filth of infidelity and vice, and freed it from the thorn of
God-plurality, and the impurity of idol-worship and by his royal vigor and
intrepidity, left not one temple standing..."
Meerut (Uttar Pradesh)
"Kutub-d din marched from
Kohran and when he arrived at Meerut
which is one of the celebrated forts of the country of Hind, for the
strength of its foundations and superstructure, and its ditch, which was as
broad as the ocean and fathomless- an army joined him, sent by the dependent
chiefs of the country. The fort was captured, and a
Kotwal was appointed to take up his station in the fort, and all the
idol temples were converted into mosques."
Delhi
"He then marched and encamped under the fort of Delhi...The city and its
vicinity were freed from idols and idol-worship,
and in the sanctuaries of the images of the Gods,
nosques were raised by the worshippers of one God.
Kutub-d din built the Jami
Masjid at Delhi and adorned it with stones and
gold obtained from the temples which had been demolished by the elephants,
and covered it with inscriptions in Toghra,
containing the divine commands."
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)
"From that place (Asni) the royal
armi proceeded towards
Benares which is the center of the country of Hind and here they
destroyed nearly 1000 temples, and raised mosques on their foundations and
the knowledge of the law became promulgated, and the foundations of religion
were established. ."
Aligarh (Uttar
Pradesh)
"There was a certain tribe in the neighbourhood
of Kol which had occasioned much trouble. Three
bastions were raised as high as heaven with their heads, and their carcasses
became the food of beasts of prey. That tract was freed from idols and
idol-worship and the foundation of infidelity were destroyed."
Bayana (Rajasthan)
"When Kutub-d din heard of Sultan's march from
Ghazna, he was much rejoiced and advanced as far
as Hansi to meet him. In the year AH 592 (AD
1196), they marched towards Thangar, and the
center of idolatry and perdition became the abode of glory and
splendour.."
Kalinjar (Uttar Pradesh)
"In the year AH 599 (Ad 1202), Kutub-d din
proceeded to the investment Kalinjar, on which
expedition he was accompanied by the Sahib-Kiran,
Shamsu-d din Altmash...
The temples were converted into mosques and abodes of goodness, and the
ejaculations of bead counters and voices of summoners
to prayer ascended to high heaven, and the very name of idolatry was
annihilated. ."
b. Sultan Shamsu'd-Din
Iltutmish (AD 1210-1236)
Delhi
"The Sultan then returned from Jalor to
Delhi..and
after his arrival 'not a vestige or name remained of idol temples which had
raised their heads on high; and the light of faith shone out from the
darkness of infidelity.. and the moon of religion
and the state became resplendent from the heaven of prosperity and glory."
10. Name Of The Book:
Kamilu't-Tawarikh
Name Of The Historian: Ibn
Asir
About The Author: The author was born in AD 1160 in the
Jazirat ibn
Umar, an island on the Tigris above
Mosul.
The Muslim Rulers he Wrote About:
a. Khalifa Al-Mahdi
(AD 775-785)
Barada (Gujrat)
"In the year 159 (AD 776) Al Mahdi sent an army
by sea under Abdul Malik bin
Shahabu'l Musamma'i
to India. They proceeded on their way and at length disembarked at
Barada. When they reached the place they laid
siege on it. The town was reduced to extremities and God prevailed over it
in the same year. The people were forbidden to worship the Budd, which the
Muhammadans burned."
11. Name Of The Book:
Tarikh-i-Jahan-Kusha
Name Of The Historian: Alaud-Din
Malik ibn
Bahaud-Din Muhammed
Juwaini
About The Author: The author was born a native of
Juwain in Khurasan
near Nishapur. He was the
Halaku during the Mongol campaign against the
Ismai'lians and was later appointed the governor of Baghdad. He fell
from grace and was imprisoned at
Hamadan.
The Muslim Rulers he Wrote About:
a. Sultan Jalalud-Din
Mankbarni (AD 1222-1231)
Debal (Sindh)
"The Sultan then went towards Dewal and
Darbela and Jaisi...
The Sultan raised Masjid at
Dewal, on the spot where an idol temple stood."
12. Name Of The Book:
Mifathu'l-Futuh
Name Of The Historian: Amir
Khusru
About The Author: The author, Amir
Khusru was born at Delhi in 1253. His father
occupied high positions in the reigns of Sultan
Shamsu'd Din
Iltutmish (AD 1210-1236) and his successors. Reputed to be the
dearest disciple of Shykh
Nizamuddin Auliya, he became the
lick-spittle of whoever came out victorious in the contest for the throne at
Delhi. He became the court poet of Balban's
successor, Sultan Kaiqbad.
The Muslim Rulers he wrote About:
a. Sultan Jajalu'd-Din
Khalji (AD 1290-1296)
Jhain (Rajasthan)
"The Sultan reached Jhain in the afternoon of
the third day and stayed in the palace of the Raya
he greatly enjoyed his stay for some time. Coming out, he took a round of
gardens and temples. The idols he saw amazed him. Next day he got those
idols of gold smashed with stones. The pillars of wood were burnt down by
his order. A cry rose from the temples as if a second
Mahmud has taken birth. Two idols were made of brass, one of which
weighed nearly thousand ‘mans’. He got both of them broken, and the pieces
were distributed among his people so that they may throw them at the door of
Masjid on their return to Delhi."
b. Sultan Alaud-Din Khilji
(AD 1296-1316)
Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh)
"When he advanced from the capital of Karra, the
Hindus, in alarm, descended into the earth like ants. He departed towards
the garden of
Behar
to dye that soil with blood as red as tulip. He cleared the road to
Ujjain
of vile wretches, and created consternation in Bhilsan.
When he affected his conquests in that country, he drew out of the river the
idols which had been concealed in it.
Devagiri (Maharshtra)
"But see the mercy with which he regarded the broken-hearted, for, after
seizing the rai, he set him free again. He
destroyed the temples of the idolaters, and erected pulpits and arches for
mosques
13. Name Of The Book:
Nuh Siphir
Name of the Historian:
Amir Khusru
About the Author:
The above mentioned book is the fourth historical
mathnavi which Amir
Khusru wrote when he was 67 years old. It celebrates the reign of
Sultan Mubarak Shah Khalji.
The Muslim Rulers
he wrote About:
a..
Sultan Mubarak Shah Khalji
(AD 1315-1320)
Warrangal (Andhra Pradesh)
"They pursued
the enemy to the gates and set everything on fire. They burnt down all those
gardens and groves. That paradise of idol-worshippers became like hell. The
fire-worshippers of ‘Bud’ were in alarm and flocked round their idols…"
14. Name of the Book: Siyaru'l-Auliya
Name of the Historian:
Sayyed Muhammed bin
Mubarak bin Muhammed
About the Author:
He was the grandson of an Iranian merchant who traded between
Kirman in Iran and Lahore. The family traveled
to Delhi after Shykh
Farid's death and became devoted to Shykh
Nizamu'd-din Auliya.
The Muslim Rulers he
wrote About:
a..
Shykh Mu'in al-Din
Chisti
Ajmer
(AD 1236)
Ajmer
(Rajasthan)
"..Because of
his Sword, instead of idols and temples in the land of unbelief now there
are mosques, mihrab and
mimbar. In the land where there were the sayings of the
idol-worshippers, there is the sound of 'Allahu
Akbar'...The descendants of those who were
converted to Islam in this land will live until Day of
Judgement; so too will those who bring others into the fold of Islam
by the sword of Islam. Until the Day of Judgment these converts will be in
debt of Shaykh al-Islam
Mu'in al-din Hasam
Sijzi..."
15. Name of the Book: Masalik'ul
Absar fi
Mamalik'ul Amsar
Name of the Historian:
Shihabu'd-Din 'Abu'l
Abbas Ahmed bin Yahya.
About the Author:
He was born in AD 1301. He was educated in Damascus and Cairo. He is
considered to be a great man and scholar of his time and author of many
books. He occupied high positions in Syria and Egypt.
The Muslim Rulers he
wrote About:
a. Sultan
Muhammed bin Tughlaq
(AD 1325-1351)
"The Sultan
is not slack in Jihad. He never lets go of his spear or bridle in pursuing
jihad by land and sea routes. This is his main occupation which engages his
eyes and ears. Five temples have been destroyed and the images and idols of
‘Budd’ have been broken, and the lands have been freed from those who were
not included in the daru'l Islam that is, those
who had refused to become zimmis. Thereafter he
got mosques and places of worship erected, and music replaced by call to
prayers to Allah... The Sultan who is ruling at present has achieved that
which had not been achieved so far by any king. He has achieved victory,
supremacy, conquest of countries, destruction of the infidels, and exposure
of magicians. He has destroyed idols by which the people of Hindustan were
deceived in vain..."
16. Name of the Book: Rehala of
Ibn Battuta
Name of the Historian:
Shykh Abu Abdullah Muhammad
ibn Ibrahim al-Lawatt
at-Tanji al-Maruf
be Ibn
Battuta.
About the Author:
He belonged to an Arab family which was settled in Spain since AD 1312. His
grandfather and father enjoyed the reputation of scholars and theologians.
He himself was a great scholar who traveled extensively and over many lands.
He came to India in 1325 and visited many places. He was very fond of
sampling Hindu girls from different parts of India. They were presented to
him by the Sultan Mohammed bin-Tughlaq with whom
Ibn Battuta came in
close contact. He also married Muslim women wherever he stayed and divorced
them before his departure.
a. His Travel
description:
(Delhi)
"Near the
eastern gate of the mosque, lie two very big
idols of copper connected together by stones. Every one who comes in and
goes out of the mosque treads over them. On the site of this mosque was a
bud Khana that is an idol-house. After the
conquest of Delhi, it was turned into a mosque..."
17. Name of the Book: Tarikh-i-Firuz
Name of the Historian:
Shams Siraj Alif
About the Author:
The author became a courtier of Sultan Firuz
Shah Tughlaq and undertook to complete the
aforementioned history of Barani who had stopped
at the sixth year of Firuz Shah's reign.
The Muslim Rulers he
wrote About:
a. Sultan Firuz Shah
Tughlaq (AD 1351-1388)
Puri (Orissa)
"The Sultan
left Banarasi with the intention of pursuing the
Rani of Jajnagar,
who had fled to an island in the river...News was then brought that in the
jangal were seven elephants, and one old
shoe-elephant, which was very fierce. The Sultan resolved upon endeavoring
to capture these elephants before continuing the pursuit of the
Rai... After the hunt was over, the Sultan
directed his attention to the Rai of
Jajnagar, and entering the palace where he dwelt
he found many fine buildings. It is reported that inside the
Rai's fort, there was a stone idol which the
infidels called Jagannath, and to which they
paid their devotions. Sultan Firoz, in emulation
of Mahmud Subuktign,
having rooted up the idol, carried it away to Delhi where he placed it in an
ignominious position."
b.
Nagarkot Kangra(Himachal
Pradesh)
"..Sultan
Muhammed Shah bin
Tughlaq and Sultan Firuz
Shah Tughlaq were sovereigns especially chosen
by Almighty from among the faithful, and in their whole course of their
reigns, wherever they took an idol temple they broke and destroyed it."
Delhi
"A report was
brought to the Sultan that there was in Delhi an old Brahmin who persisted
in publicly performing the worship of idols in his house; and that people of
the city, both Musalmans and Hindus, used to
resort to his house to worship the idol. The Brahmin had constructed a
wooden tablet which was covered within and without with paintings of demons
and other objects. An order was accordingly given that the Brahmin, with his
tablet, should be brought into the presence of the Sultan at
Firozabad. The
judges and doctors and elders and lawyers were summoned, and the case of the
Brahmin was submitted for their opinion. Their reply was that the provisions
of the Law were clear: the Brahmin must either become a
Musalman or be burned. The true faith was declared to the Brahmin,
and the right course pointed out, but he refused to accept it. Orders were
given for raising a pile of faggots before the door of the
darbar (court). The Brahmin was tied hand and
foot and cast into it; the tablet was thrown on top and the pile was
lighted. The writer of this book was present at the
darbar and witnessed the execution. The tablet of the Brahmin was
lighted in two places, at his head and at his feet; the wood was dry and the
fire first reached his feet, and drew him a cry, but the flames quickly
enveloped his head and consumed him. Behold the Sultan's strict adherence to
law and rectitude, how he would not deviate in the least from its decrees!"
Here Sultan
Firuz Shah Tughlaq
glorifies his own criminal acts in Bharat as
sanctioned by the "holy" Koran.
18. Name of the Book: Futuhat-i-Firuz
Shahi
Name of the Historian:
Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq
About the Author:
Sultan had got the eight chapters of his work inscribed on eight slabs of
stone which were fixed on eight sides of the octagonal dome of a building
near the Jami Masjid
at Firuzabad.
a. Prayers of
Temple-destroyers in this Book
"The next
matter which by God's help I accomplished, was the repetition of names and
titles of former sovereigns which had been omitted from the prayers of
Sabbaths and Feasts. The names of those sovereigns of Islam, under whose
happy fortune and favour infidel countries had
been conquered, whose banners had waved over many a land, under whom
idol-temples had been demolished, and mosques and pulpits built and
exalted..."
Delhi and
Evirons
"The Hindus
and idol-worshippers had agreed to pay the money for toleration (zar-i
zimmiya) and had consented to the poll-tax(jiziya)
in return for which they and their families enjoyed security. These people
now erected new idol-temples in the city and the
enviorns in opposition to the law of the Prophet which declares that
such temples are not to be tolerated. Under divine guidance I destroyed
these edifices and I killed those leaders of infidelity who seduced others
into error, and the lower orders I subjected to stripes and chastisement,
until this abuse was entirely abolished. The following is an instance: In
the vilalge of Maluh,
there is a tank which they call kund (tank).
Here they had built idol-temples and on certain days the Hindus were
accustomed to proceed thither on horseback, and
wearing arms. Their women and children also went out in
palankins and carts. Then they assembled in thousands and performed
idol-worship. ...when intelligence of this came to my
ears my religious feelings prompted me at once to put a stop to this scandal
and offence to the religion of Islam. On the day of the assembly I
went there in person and I ordered that the leaders of these people and the
promoters of this abominations should be put to
death. I destroyed their idol-temples and instead thereof raised mosques."
Gohana (Haryana)
"Some Hindus
had erected a new idol-temple in the village of
Kohana
and the idolators used to assemble there and
perform their idolatrous rites. These people were seized and brought before
me. I ordered that the perverse conduct of the leaders of this wickedness
should be publicly proclaimed, and that they should be put to death before
the gate of the palace. I also ordered that the infidel books, the idols and
the vessels used in their worship, which had been taken with idols, should
all be publicly burnt. The others were restrained by threats and
punishments, as a warning to all men, that no zimmi
could follow such wicked practices in a Muslaman
country."
19. Name of the Book: Tarikh-i-Mubarak
Shahi
Name of the
Historian: Yahya Ammad
bin Abdullah Sirhindi
About the Author:
The author lived in the reign of Sultan Muizu'd-Din
Abu'l Fath
Mubarak Shah (AD 1421-1434) of the
Sayyid dynasty which ruled at Delhi from AD
1414-1451.
The Muslim Rulers he
wrote About:
a. Sultan
Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish
(AD 1210-1236)
Vidisha and
Ujjain
(Madhya Pradesh)
"In AH 631 he
invaded Malwah, and after suppressing the rebels
of that place, he destroyed that idol-temple which had existed there for the
past three hundred years. Next he turned towards
Ujjain
and conquered it, and after demolishing the idol-temple of
Mahakal, he uprooted the statue of
Bikramajit together with all other statues and
images which were placed on pedestals, and brought them to the capital where
they were laid before the Jami
Masjid for being trodden under foot by the
people
20. Name of the Book: Tarikh-i-Muhammadi
Name of the Historian:
Muhammed Bihamad
Khani
About the Author:
The author was the son of the governor of Irich
in Bundelkhand. He was a soldier who
participated in several wars. His history covers a long period - from
Prophet Mohammed to AD 1438-39
The Muslim Rulers he
wrote About:
a. Sultan
Ghiyasu'd-Din Tughlaq
Shah II (AD 1388-89)
Kalpi (Uttar Pradesh)
"In the
meanwhile Delhi received news of the defeat of the armies of Islam which
were with Malikzada Mahmud
bin Firuz Khan...This
Malikzada reached the bank of the Yamuna
via Shahpur and renamed
Kalpi which was the abode and center of the infidels and the wicked,
as Muhammadabad, after the name of Prophet Muhammed.
He got mosques erected for the worship of Allah in places occupied by
temples, and made that city his capital. "
b. Sultan
Nasiru'd-Din Mahmud
Shah Tughlaq (AD 1389-1412)
Prayag and Kara (Uttar Pradesh)
"The Sultan
moved with the armies of Islam towards Prayag
and Arail with the aim of destroying the
infidels, and he laid waste both those places. The vast crowd which had
collected at Prayag for worshipping false gods
was made captive. The inhabitants of Kara were freed from the mischief of
rebels on account of this aid from King and the name of this king of Islam
became famous by this reason."
Another
Moghul ruler by the name of
Babur who was in love with a young boy named
Baburi glorifies his lecherously Islamic deeds in the
Babur-Nama.
21. Name of the Book:
Babur-Nama
Name of the Author: Zahiru'd-Din Muhammed Babur
About the Author: The author of this book was the founder of Mughal dynasty in India who proclaimed himself a Padshah (Ruler) after his victory in the First Battle of Panipat (AD 1526), and a Ghazi (killer of kafirs) after the defeat of Rana Sanga in the Battle of Khanwa (AD 1528) While presenting himself as an indefatigable warrior and drug-addict he does not hide the cruelties he committed on the defeated people, particularly his fondness for building towers of the heads of those he captured as prisoners of war or killed in battle. He is very liberal in citing appropriate verses from the Quran on the eve of the battle with Rana Sanga. In order to ensure his victory, he makes a covenant with Allah by breaking the vessels containing wine as also the cups for drinking it, swearing at the same time that "he would break the idols of the idol-worshippers in a similar manner". In the Fath-Nama (prayer for victory) composed for him by Shykh Zain, Allah is described as "destroyers of idols from their foundations" The language he uses for his Hindu adversaries is typically Islamic.
a. Zahirud-Din
Muhammed Babur
Padshah Ghazi (AD 1526-1530)
Chanderi (Madhya Pradesh)
"In AH 934
(AD 1528), I attacked Chanderi and, by the grace
of Allah, captured it in a few hours. We got the infidels slaughtered and
the place which had been a daru'l-harb for
years, was made into daru'l-Islam.
"
Gwalior
(Madhya Pradesh)
"Next day, at
the time of the noon prayer, we went out for seeing those places in
Gwalior
which we had not seen yet. Going out of the Hathipole
Gate of the fort, we arrived at a place called Urwa.
Urwa is not a bad place It
is an enclosed space. Its biggest blemish is its statues. I ordered that
they should be destroyed... "
a. Name of
the structure: Quwwat al-Islam
Masjid
Location:
Delhi in Uttar Pradesh
Inscription:
"This fort was conquered and the Jami
Masjid built in the year 587 by the
Amir(*), the great, the glorious commander of
the Army, Qutub-ud-daula wad-din, the
Amir-ul-umara Aibeg,
the slave of the Sultan, may Allah strengthen his helpers. The materials of
27 idol temples, on each of which 2,000,000
Delhiwals(** )
had been spent were used in the construction of the mosque."
*The
Amir mentioned above was
Qutubud-Din Aibak, slave of
Muhammed Ghori.
**"Delhiwal"
was a high denomination coin current at that time in Delhi.
b. Name of
the structure: Mansuri
Masjid
Location:
Vijapur in Gujrat
Inscription:
"The Blessed and Exalted Allah says, 'And verily, mosques are for Allah
only; hence invoke not anyone else with Allah.' This edifice was originally
built by the infidels. After the advent of Islam, it was converted into a
mosque. Sermon was delivered here for sixty-seven years. Due to the sedition
of the infidels, it was again destroyed. When during the reign of the Sultan
of the time, Ahmad, the affairs of each Iqta
attained magnificence, Bahadur, the
Sarkhail, once again carried out repairs.
Through the generosity of Divine munificence, it became like new."
c. Name of
the structure: Masjid at
Manvi
Location:
Manvi in Karnataka
Inscription:
"Praise be to Allah that by the decree of the
Parvardigar, a mosque has been converted out of a temple as a sign of
religion in the reign of the world-conquering emperor, the Sultan who is the
asylum of the Faith and the possessor of the crown, who's kingdom is young,
viz. Firuz Shah Bahmani,
who is the cause of Exuberant spring in the garden of religion,
Adu'l-Fath the king who conquered. After the
victory of the emperor, the chief of chiefs, Safdar
(the valiant commander) of the age, received the fort. The builder of this
noble place of prayer is Muhammad Zahir
Aqchi, the pivot of the Faith. He constructed in
the year 809 from the Migration of the Chosen (prophet
Muhammdad) this Ka'ba like
momento."
d. Name of
the structure: Mausoleum of Shykh 'Abdullah Shah
Changal
Location:
Dhar in Madhya Pradesh
Inscription:
"The centre became Muhammadan first by
him(*) (and) all the banners of religion were
spread... This lion-man came from the centre of religion to this old temple
with a large force. He broke the images of the false deities, and turned the
idol temple into a mosque. When Rai
Bhoj saw this, through wisdom he embraced Islam
with the family of his brave warriors(**). This
quarter became illuminated by the light of the
Muhammadan law, and the customs of the infidels became obsolete and
abolished."
*Shykh
'Abdullah Shah Changal
**In this
case the Hindu King was Bhoj II and during his
reign Jalalu'd-Din Khalji
(AD 1290-1296) of Delhi invaded Malwa.
Changal was the Muslim missionary who
accompanied Khalji's army. This army after
plundering and looting the kingdom of
Bhoj
II converted a Hindu temple into a mosque and forced the ruler and his
subjects to accept Islam.
e. Name of
the structure: Jami' Masjid
Location:
Malan in Gujrat
Inscription:
"...(The
Prophet), on him be peace, says 'He who builds a mosque in the world, the
Exalted Allah builds for him a palace in Paradise.' In the auspicious time
of the government and peaceful time of Mahmud
Shah, son of Muhammad Shah, the sultan, the Jami',
mosque was constructed on the hill of the fort of Malun
(or Malwan) by Khan-i-Azam
Ulugh Khan...at the request of the
thandar Kabir, (son
of Diya), the building was constructed by the
son of Ulugh Khan who is magnanimous, just,
generous, brave and who suppressed the wretched infidels. He eradicated the
idol-houses and mine of infidelity, along with the idols... with the edge of
his sword, and made ready this edifice... He made its walls and doors out of
the idols; the back of every stone became the place for prostration of the
believer..."
f. Name of
the structure: Jami' Masjid
Location:
Amod in Gujrat
Inscription:
"Allah and His grace. When divine favour was
bestowed on Khalil Shah, he constructed the
Jami' Masjid for the
decoration of Islam; he ruined the idol-house and temple of the polytheists,
(and) completed the Masjid and pulpit in its
place. Without doubt, his building was accepted by Allah."
g..
Name of the structure: Shrine of Shah Madar
Location:
Narwar in Mdhya
pradesh
Inscription:
"Dilawar
Khan, the chief among the king's viceroys, caused this mosque to
built which is like a place of shelter for the
favourites. Infidelity has been subdued, and
Islam has triumphed because of him. The idols have bowed to him and the
temples have been razed to the ground along with their foundations, and
mosques and worship houses are flowing with riches."
h. Name of
structure: Hamman Darwaza
Masjid
Location:
Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh
Inscription:
"Thanks by the guidance of Everlasting and the Living Allah, this house of
infidelity became the niche of prayer. As a reward for that, the Generous
Lord constructed an abode for the builder in paradise..."
i. Name of structure: Jami
Masjid
Location:
Ghoda in Maharashtra
Inscription:
"O Allah O Muhammed
! O Ali ! When Mir
Muhammed Zaman made up his mind, he
opened the door of prosperity on himself by his own hand. He demolished
thirty-three idol temples and by divine grace laid the foundation of a
building in the abode of perdition."
j. Name of
structure: Gachinala Masjid
Location:
Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh
Inscription:
"He is Allah, may be glorified. During the august rule of...Muhammed
Shah, there was a well established idol-house in Kuhmum...Muhammed
Salih...razed to the ground, the edifice of the
idol-house and broke the idols in a manly fashion. He constructed on its
site a suitable mosque, towering above the building of all."
Note: Works of Arun Shourie, Harsh Narain, Jay Dubashi and Sita Ram Goel have been used in this article.
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