Persecution of Hindus - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia Persecution of Hindus from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
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12/15/2014 Persecution of Hindus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Persecution of Hindus From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Persecution of Hindus refers to the religious persecution inflicted upon Hindus. In modern times, Hindus in the Muslim-majority regions of Kashmir, Pakistan, Bangladesh and others have also suffered persecution. Contents 1 Medieval 1.1 Persecution by Muslim Rulers 1.1.1 By Arabs 1.1.2 Mahmud of Ghazni 1.1.3 Timur's campaign against India 1.1.4 Delhi Sultanate 1.1.4.1 Firuz Shah Tughlaq 1.1.5 In the Mughal empire 1.1.6 Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan 1.1.7 In Kashmir 1.2 During European rule of the Indian subcontinent 1.2.1 Goa 1.2.2 British Colonial India 2 Modern 2.1 Partition of India 2.1.1 Direct Action Day 2.1.2 Naokhali Riots 2.1.3 During the era of Nizam state of Hyderabad 2.1.4 Pakistan 2.1.4.1 1971 Bangladesh genocide 2.2 Contemporary persecution 2.2.1 Persecution by Buddhists 2.2.1.1 Bhutan 2.2.2 South Asia 2.2.2.1 Republic of India 2.2.2.1.1 Jammu and Kashmir 2.2.2.1.2 Northeast India 2.2.2.1.3 Punjab http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Hindus 2.2.2.1.4 Kerala 1/33 12/15/2014 Persecution of Hindus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 2.2.2.1.4 Kerala 2.2.2.2 Bangladesh 2.2.2.3 Pakistan 2.2.2.3.1 Pakistan Studies curriculum issues 2.2.2.3.2 Forced conversions 2.2.2.3.3 Temple Destruction 2.2.2.3.4 Discrimination due to the rise of Taliban 2.2.2.4 Afghanistan 2.2.2.5 Sri Lanka 2.2.3 In other countries 2.2.3.1 Germany 2.2.3.2 Italy 2.2.3.3 Kazakhstan 2.2.3.4 Malaysia 2.2.3.5 Saudi Arabia 2.2.3.6 Fiji 2.2.3.7 Trinidad & Tobago 2.2.3.8 South Africa 2.2.3.9 United States 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links Medieval Persecution by Muslim Rulers By Arabs Muslim conquest of the Indian subcontinent began during the early 8th century, when the Umayyad governor of Damascus, Hajjaj responded to a casus belli provided by the kidnapping of Muslim women and treasures by pirates off the coast of Debal,[1] by mobilising an expedition of 6,000 cavalry under Muhammad bin-Qasim in 712 CE. Records from the campaign recorded in the Chach Nama record temple demolitions, and mass executions of resisting Sindhi forces and the enslavement of their dependents. This action was particularly extensive in Debal, of which Qasim is reported to have been under orders to make an example of while freeing both the captured women and the prisoners of a previous failed expedition. Bin Qasim then enlisted the support of the local Jat, Meds and Bhutto tribes and began the process of subduing and conquering the countryside. The capture of towns was also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Hindus 2/33 12/15/2014 Persecution of Hindus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia usually accomplished by means of a treaty with a party from among his "enemy", who were then extended special privileges and material rewards.[2] However, his superior Hajjaj reportedly objected to his method by saying that it would make him look weak and advocated a more hardline military strategy, saying "Henceforth grant pardon to no one of the enemy and spare none of them, or else all will consider you a weak-minded man."[3] In a subsequent communication, Hajjaj reiterated that all able-bodied men were to be killed, and that their underage sons and daughters were to be imprisoned and retained as hostages. Qasim obeyed, and on his arrival at the town of Brahminabad massacred between 6,000 and 16,000 of the defending forces.[4] The historian, Upendra Thakur records the persecution of Hindus and Buddhists: When Muhammad Kasim invaded Sind in 711 AD, Buddhism had no resistance to offer to their fire and steel. The rosary could not be a match for the sword and the terms Love and Peace had no meaning to them. They carried fire and sword wherever they went and obliterated all that came their way. Muhammad triumphantly marched into the country, conquering Debal, Sehwan, Nerun, Brahmanadabad, Alor and Multan one after the other in quick succession, and in less than a year and a half, the far-flung Hindu kingdom was crushed, the great civilization fell back and Sind entered the darkest period of its history. There was a fearful outbreak of religious bigotry in several places and temples were wantonly desecrated. At Debal, the Nairun and Aror temples were demolished and converted into mosques.[Resistors] were put to death and women made captives. The Jizya was exacted with special care.[Hindus] were required to feed Muslim travellers for three days and three nights.[5] Other historians and archaeologists such as J E Lohuizen-de Leeuw, take the following stance regarding events preceding the sack of Debal: In fact, we have clear evidence that the Arabs were very tolerant towards both Buddhists and Hindus during the rest of the campaign and throughout the time they ruled Sind...Of course that does not mean that no monuments were ever destroyed, for war always means a certain amount of damage to buildings but it does prove that there was no wanton and systematic destruction of each and every religious center of the Buddhists and Hindus in Sind.[6] In 725 CE Junayad, the Arab governor of Sind, sent his armies to destroy the temple of Somnath.[7] The Gurjara Pratihara king Nagabhata II rebuilt the temple in 815, a large structure of red sandstone. Mahmud of Ghazni Mahmud of Ghazni, Sultan of the Ghaznavid empire, invaded the Indian subcontinent during the early 11th century. His campaigns across the gangetic plains are often cited for their iconoclast plundering and destruction of temples. According to military historian Victoria Schofield, Sabuktagin, the Turkish ruler of Ghazni and father of Mahmud, "set as his goal the expulsion of the Hindus from the Kabul valley and Gandhara (Khandar), as the vale of Peshwar was still called. His son and successor, the Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, continued his work, carrying the holy war against the Hindus into India."[8] Till the year 980 CE, this area of Ghandhara was under Hindus until Sabuktagin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Hindus 3/33 12/15/2014 Persecution of Hindus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia from Ghazni invaded it and displaced its last Hindu Shahi king Jaya Pala.[9] Shahi was an important kingdom in Northwest India at that time. According to some sources (like Ibn Batuta[10]) the name of the Hindu Kush mountains of the region means "Hindu kill"[9][11] probably because raiders would capture Hindu slaves from the plains and take them away but they would die of cold in the mountains.[12][13] Mahmud of Ghazni sacked the second Somnath Temple in 1026, and looted it of gems and precious stones and the famous Shiva lingam of the temple was destroyed .[14] Following the defeat of the Rajput Confederacy, after deciding to retaliate for their combined resistance, Mahmud had then set out on regular expeditions against them, leaving the conquered kingdoms in the hands of Hindu vassals annexing only the Punjab region.[15] By 1665, the temple, one of many, was once again ordered destroyed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.[16] Mahmud utterly ruined the prosperity of the country, and performed there wonderful exploits, by which the Hindus became like atoms of dust scattered in all directions, and Somanatha Temple Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, from the like a tale of old in the mouth of the people.[17] Archaeological Survey of India, taken by D.H. Sykes in c.1869 Alberuni, a historian who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni, described the conquests in North Western India by stating that Mahmud impoverished the region and that the civilisation of the scattered Hindus declined and retreated from the North West.[18] This is the reason, too, why Hindu sciences have retired far away from those parts of the country conquered by us, and have fled to places which our hand cannot yet reach, to Kashmir, Benares, and other places.[17] Holt et al. hold an opposing view, that he was "no mere robber or bloody thirsty tyrant" . Mahmud shed no blood "except in the exigencies of war",[15] and was tolerant in dealings with his own Hindu subjects, some of whom rose to high posts in his administration, such as his Hindu General Tilak[15] Timur's campaign against India Timur began a trek starting in 1397 to invade the territory of the reigning Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud of the Tughlaq Dynasty in the north Indian city of Delhi. He crossed the Indus River at Attock on 24 September. The capture of towns and villages was often followed by the massacre of their inhabitants and the raping of their women, as well as pillaging to support his massive army. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Hindus 4/33 12/15/2014 Persecution of Hindus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Timur's invasion did not go unopposed and he did meet some resistance during his march to Delhi, most notably by the Sarv Khap coalition in northern India, and the Governor of Meerut. Although impressed and momentarily stalled by the valour of Ilyaas Awan, Timur was able to continue his relentless approach to Delhi, arriving in 1398 to combat the armies of Sultan Mehmud, already weakened by an internal battle for ascension within the royal family.