CHAPTER II HISTORY OF MUSLIMS IN AHMADNAGAR Section I of this chapter deals with the history of Muslims in India in general and the history of Muslims in Ahmadnagar in particular. Section II deals with the socio­ economic, religious and educational background of the sample. Section I From the early aurora of history, India has been invaded by aliens like Greeks, Aryas, Sakas, Kushans, Huns and recently Muslims and Britishers. Some were absorbed into Hindu fold and its polity, others left little mark on the country and its aborigins. When any culture comes into contact with dominant culture, the process of acculturation begins and the latter leaves its mark on the former. 'The history of Muslim rule in India is the story of Islam in a predominantly non-Muslim environment1 says the well known Islamic scholar Ikram. It led to many social processes like conflict, tension, accul­ turation which became the topic of interest to the students of various disciplines. Rise of Islam Prophet Muhammad laid the foundation of the new monothei­ stic religion of Islam, in the early part of Seventh Century 51 52 A.D. in Arabia. The foundation of this newly born religion rested on two pillars : (1) That there is but one God and Muhammad is his prophet and (2) That all the believers are equal and brothers in the sight of God. Thus the new faith in the existence of one God and brotherhood among its followers abolished all the distinctions within the community. This created an atmosphere of enthusiasm among those who believed in Islam. The Arabs soon after the death of the Prophet set throughout the world to preach and convey the message of Islam. 'Their zeal for the faith, enabled the Arab to make themselves masters of Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Persia within the short space of twenty years.* Islam in India The first contacts between India and Arabia were established in the south because of trade relations. Qureshi observes that 'trade relations between the Arabs and India existed before recorded history'.' The Arab traders and sailors had settlements on the Indian coast. 'When Islam swept over Arabia, its influence was felt immediately in Kerala also.* Miller also holds the same view by stating that 'Islam in India in all probability began in Kerala, and the Mappilas are the descendants of the first Indian Muslims.' The Arabs learnt of the fabulous wealth and idolatory of India from the traders who frequented the Indian coasts and decided to lead an expedition to India. 'The first 53 recorded expedition was sent from Uman to pillage the coasts of India in the year 636-37 A.D. during the Khilafat of Omar.* Plunder was the objective of these early raids which were faced with many dangers and difficulties so that the Caliph prohibited all further efforts. Islam gained increasing strength in the time of Abu Bakr, who succeeded Omar as Caliph. 'By 644 A.D. when Omar died, the whole of Persia as far as the Herat had been conquered by the'Arabs; and by 650 A.D. they had extended their power to the foot of the Hindu-Kush Mountains'' as far as the north-western parts of India. 'But no permanent occupation of the country was attempted till the conquest of Sind by Muhammad bin Kasim'. The first organized and planned Arab invasion took place in Sindh under the command of Muhammad bin Qasim in the year 711 A.D. He captured the whole of lower Indus valley. Titus observes that 'the history of Islam in India properly begins in the year A.D. 711, when it was introduced into Sind by the Arabian general Imad-ud-din Muhammad bin Qasim'. Qasim was suddenly put to death by order of Caliph, when he had planned to march to Kanauj. The Arab conquest was ceased with his death. 'There was a period of suspended military operations for more than two and a half centuries, during which time Muslim conquerors did not trouble themselves about India. ' ° The Arabs had lost their old vigour and military zeal. The caliphate too lost its former strength and it was transferred about 750 A.D. from Ommiad 54 dynasty into the hands of the Abbasids (750-125$ A.D.). In the meantime the Turks gained the military power and place of prominance in Persia. A fresh series of attacks were launched against Indian territories by Muslim Turks. The prominent among them was Mahmud of Ghazni. 'Mahmud was a fierce and fanatical Muslim 12 with an insatiable thirst for wealth and power.' He had made a firm resolution to spread Islam at the point of the sword into heathen lands carrying destruction. Mahmud attacked India several times during his thirty years of reign (997 - 1030 A.D.). 'At his death his kingdom extended from Bokhara and Samarqand to Gujarat and Kanouj in the Doab and included Afghanistan, Transoxiana, Khorasan, Tabaristan, Sistan, Kashmir and a large portion of North-Western India.' After the death of Mahmud, his successors could not retain the kingdom and it soon started declining. The total destruction of Ghaznavids was caused by Ghories. (1161 - 1135 A.D.). The house of Ghori a small mountain state between Herat and Ghazni soon rose to the political prominence and succeeded to the Indian heritage of the Ghaznavids. Historians observe that among Ghories - (Shahab-ud-din) Muhammad Ghori •first conquered part of Khorasan from the Seljuks and then began a series of campaigns in India which really laid the foundation of Muhammadan rule in our country'. (1176 - 1206 A.D.). 55 After the death of Muhammad Ghori, his faithful slave Kutub-ud-din Aibek became the first slave king of Delhi. He founded 'an independent kingdom and got from Ghorifs successor a formal confirmation of his independence'. It was the beginning of a continuous Muslim rule in India. 'His successor, Shams-ud-din Altamash, sought and obtained investiture from the Khalif of Bagdad in 1229; and from that year India became a separate Muhammadan kingdom'.1^ Blunt observes that all succeeding dynasties were of foreign origin - Turks, Arabs, and Afghans. There were no further 1$ foreign invasions till 1526. However, there were inter­ mittent unsuccessful invasions by the Mughals. The Mughal Empire : (1526 - 1760 A.D.) Chroniclers observe that 'the year 1526 is a great epoch-making year in Indian History; for in that year was laid the foundation of a big (Mughal) empire which swayed the political destinies of the Indian people for more than two centuries.' 19 From that time until the advent of British, the great part of India remained a separate Muslim kingdom. Muslim Invasion of South India After the end of the slave dynasty, Khiljis succeeded to the throne of Delhi (1290 - 1320 A.D.). The Deccan was so far untouched by the Muslims. In the year 1274 A.D. Ala-ud-din the nephew of Sultan Jalal-ud-din Khilji marched 56 on Devagiri, the wealthy capital of the Yadava king of Maharashtra and plundered it. Later on his accession to the throne in 1296 A. D., Ala-ud-din having conquered northern India, launched an invasion of the Deccan in 1306-7 A.D. •The gates of the Deccan thus opened to the north, were never again closed.' 20 The rulers of Delhi had hitherto confined themselves to the north. The Muslim state in India was not yet fully 21 developed. Ishwari Prasad observes that, at that time 'an attempt to conquer the Deccan was looked upon as a perilous enterprise' and its subjugation was not possible for three reasons. Its physical condition, the hostility of Hindu Rajas and the long distance from the capital of the empire. It is needless to relate in detail the historical developments in the north and south India. Suffice for our purpose to account the major historical events till the foundation of the kingdom of Ahraadnagar. Tughlaq Dynasty : (1320 - 1412 A.D.) The Tughlaq dynasty ascended to the throne of Delhi after the house of Khilji was extinguished. Tughlaq era is marked for two reasons. It was during the early years of Muhammad bin Tughlaq's reign that he transferred his capital to Devagiri renaming it Daulatabad (1327 A.D.). Secondly it was in his last years that many rebellions broke out in 22 the empire between 1343 and 1351 A.D. and disintegration 57 started taking place. The whole Hindustan was now divided into a number of principalities. The Deccan, Gujarat, Malwa, Jaunpur, Khandesh and Bengal had become kingdoms with their 23 own independent rulers. ' The Bahamani Kingdom was one of these smaller principalities. The Bahamani Kingdom : (1347 - 1513 A.D.) The empire of Muhammad Tughlaq broke up during his life time. The foreign Amirs of the Deccan successfully- revolted against the authority of the emperor and set up their own kingdom at Daulatabad. Ala-ud-din Hasan Bahaman was its founder. The Bahamani kingdom extended up to the Tapti on the north and the Tungbhadra and the Krishna on the south, and at the end of fifteenth century its boundaries on the east and west extended from sea to sea. It had a glorious career of 179 years and was ruled by fourteen Sultans from A.D. 13^7 to 14#2 when it broke up into five Sultanates. The Fall of Bahamani Kingdom For administrative purpose Ala-ud-din Bahaman Shah divided his kingdom into four provinces namely Gulbarga, Daulatabad, Berar and Bidar and placed each in charge of a governer. As disorders mounted on all sides, these provincial governors began to assert their own independence.