--Not yet complete--
Preface:
When it comes to discussion on religion India has incomparable vibrant history.
This article will give a glimpse of totally different side of relation between Islam and India. I would investigate influence of Islam as cultural wave, which has been forgotten in some or other way.
In international panorama, Islam is often understood as a religious rather than a social movement that spread across middle east and changed the world politics and life forever mostly in eastern Europe, Arabic peninsula and most importantly In India. Because Islamic kingdoms never had great navel powers so they had no influence in America, Australia.
About me:
Before writing anything about a community that I don't directly belong, let me tell you my prejudice. I was born in a Hindu Bramhin Family who were once forced to flee eastern Pakistan owing to Muslim league sponsored anti-Hindu riots and settled in ancient and vibrant city of Varanasi. Once affluent back in east-Bengal started from zero at Varanasi. Moreover, much of my adolescent I didn't have many Muslim friends. My point of view for the community changed dramatically after I had some very good Muslim friends and my travel to middle east. I got the opportunity to meet Muslims from different part of world especially from Pakistan and Bangladesh and online investigation helped me to understand better about the community and that too in Indian context.
How all it started
The very first wave:
Many think that Islam came to India from Central Asian invaders such as Mehmood of Gazni or Babar, and this is the biggest myth. Islam came to India long before even when ancestors of these invaders' were to embrace Islam. It came very much after first Islamic kingdom was established by Prophet Mohammad in Arab peninsula. The waves of Islam came to India more as a cultural and spiritual force rather than a military force by Arabs and it was welcomed everywhere. Indian Hindu kings were known of their experimentation and admiration to new faiths. So mosques were built and some cultural fusion, however, penetration was limited. Those days Islam was never seen as threat nor to be feared rather to be welcomed.
The second wave:
When Islam was limited to Arab it was never a big threat to Indian kingdoms, however, it was when the central Asian tribes who had been fighting with each other for centuries got united under Islam and contemporary Indian kingdoms were getting weaker at northwest frontier. United and full of energy under new faith.These central Asian tribes treated Indian very much the same way the way they were treated; that was force conversion.
Unlike Central Asian we already had 4000 year old continued civilization with unique and enriched culture. And this time, Islam didn't came as cultural wave that to be welcomed it was now a military power hence to be fought and feared. Unlike Central Asians who were thankful of Islam that it gave them an unique identify and gave them unity, Indians were never going to be thankful for that rather will be anguished.
The unique way Arabs found to get loyalty of Central Asian tribes and popularity in the region was to convert all war prisoners to Islam. When same technique were applied else where in the world it did indeed bring some loyalty but at cost of popularity and seed of Islamophobia was planted. Things got more and more complicated as more and more ethnic groups included in Islamic system not only Islam changed them but they did change it too. So although all may share the same faith but their temperament and practice may vary dramatically. New system started to evolve, Qalif's claimed themselves as guardian of Islam same way the way Church and Bramhin's claimed that they are the guardian of their respective faiths.
How India and Islam both enriched culturally:
Many may say that we got plundered by Islamic invaders for centuries and they were the responsible for most of our tyranny during medieval period and how their mass conversion over centuries led to many irreversible demographic changes that not only divided India as a cultural union but also destroyed thousands of years of cultural heritage, well part of that is true and we are to blame for that not them.
While India got plundered and sabotaged under Islamic rule, it also got enriched. Its confluence brought a new awakening. It brought a much need variety that Indian art need at that time. A unique version of cultural Islam flourished that was much richer than what even Arabs would have imagined. All north Indian modern languages evolved during that era including Arabic scripts such as Sindhi, Urdu and many more.
It won't be wrong to say that Indian Islam is unique in it's own way much vibrant, flourished, colorful and mystical than others. Indian Muslims who lived all their life in India may not understand this contrast. The Indian Islam is a amazing fusion of Hindus (Idol worship ideology with pluralism) and the Islam . India has more Sufi Baba's, Pir Baba's, Dardah's and various forms of tradition still alive and flourishing than the whole world all together.
A new form of spirituality evolved called Sufism, which is quite similar to Bhakti Movement, that transformed the north Indian classical music for ever. If Islam had never came to India, Sufism would have never nourished. The great Sufi singer Amir Khusro was the founder for North Indian classical music. Such movement led to development of one of most poetic languages that India has ever had such as Aawadi, Urdu. Most of the Bandish's were written and sung in Awadhi, Bhraj and Bhojpuri.
Political Significance:
Please leave comments.
Preface:
When it comes to discussion on religion India has incomparable vibrant history.
This article will give a glimpse of totally different side of relation between Islam and India. I would investigate influence of Islam as cultural wave, which has been forgotten in some or other way.
In international panorama, Islam is often understood as a religious rather than a social movement that spread across middle east and changed the world politics and life forever mostly in eastern Europe, Arabic peninsula and most importantly In India. Because Islamic kingdoms never had great navel powers so they had no influence in America, Australia.
About me:
Before writing anything about a community that I don't directly belong, let me tell you my prejudice. I was born in a Hindu Bramhin Family who were once forced to flee eastern Pakistan owing to Muslim league sponsored anti-Hindu riots and settled in ancient and vibrant city of Varanasi. Once affluent back in east-Bengal started from zero at Varanasi. Moreover, much of my adolescent I didn't have many Muslim friends. My point of view for the community changed dramatically after I had some very good Muslim friends and my travel to middle east. I got the opportunity to meet Muslims from different part of world especially from Pakistan and Bangladesh and online investigation helped me to understand better about the community and that too in Indian context.
How all it started
The very first wave:
Many think that Islam came to India from Central Asian invaders such as Mehmood of Gazni or Babar, and this is the biggest myth. Islam came to India long before even when ancestors of these invaders' were to embrace Islam. It came very much after first Islamic kingdom was established by Prophet Mohammad in Arab peninsula. The waves of Islam came to India more as a cultural and spiritual force rather than a military force by Arabs and it was welcomed everywhere. Indian Hindu kings were known of their experimentation and admiration to new faiths. So mosques were built and some cultural fusion, however, penetration was limited. Those days Islam was never seen as threat nor to be feared rather to be welcomed.
The second wave:
When Islam was limited to Arab it was never a big threat to Indian kingdoms, however, it was when the central Asian tribes who had been fighting with each other for centuries got united under Islam and contemporary Indian kingdoms were getting weaker at northwest frontier. United and full of energy under new faith.These central Asian tribes treated Indian very much the same way the way they were treated; that was force conversion.
Unlike Central Asian we already had 4000 year old continued civilization with unique and enriched culture. And this time, Islam didn't came as cultural wave that to be welcomed it was now a military power hence to be fought and feared. Unlike Central Asians who were thankful of Islam that it gave them an unique identify and gave them unity, Indians were never going to be thankful for that rather will be anguished.
The unique way Arabs found to get loyalty of Central Asian tribes and popularity in the region was to convert all war prisoners to Islam. When same technique were applied else where in the world it did indeed bring some loyalty but at cost of popularity and seed of Islamophobia was planted. Things got more and more complicated as more and more ethnic groups included in Islamic system not only Islam changed them but they did change it too. So although all may share the same faith but their temperament and practice may vary dramatically. New system started to evolve, Qalif's claimed themselves as guardian of Islam same way the way Church and Bramhin's claimed that they are the guardian of their respective faiths.
How India and Islam both enriched culturally:
Many may say that we got plundered by Islamic invaders for centuries and they were the responsible for most of our tyranny during medieval period and how their mass conversion over centuries led to many irreversible demographic changes that not only divided India as a cultural union but also destroyed thousands of years of cultural heritage, well part of that is true and we are to blame for that not them.
While India got plundered and sabotaged under Islamic rule, it also got enriched. Its confluence brought a new awakening. It brought a much need variety that Indian art need at that time. A unique version of cultural Islam flourished that was much richer than what even Arabs would have imagined. All north Indian modern languages evolved during that era including Arabic scripts such as Sindhi, Urdu and many more.
It won't be wrong to say that Indian Islam is unique in it's own way much vibrant, flourished, colorful and mystical than others. Indian Muslims who lived all their life in India may not understand this contrast. The Indian Islam is a amazing fusion of Hindus (Idol worship ideology with pluralism) and the Islam . India has more Sufi Baba's, Pir Baba's, Dardah's and various forms of tradition still alive and flourishing than the whole world all together.
A new form of spirituality evolved called Sufism, which is quite similar to Bhakti Movement, that transformed the north Indian classical music for ever. If Islam had never came to India, Sufism would have never nourished. The great Sufi singer Amir Khusro was the founder for North Indian classical music. Such movement led to development of one of most poetic languages that India has ever had such as Aawadi, Urdu. Most of the Bandish's were written and sung in Awadhi, Bhraj and Bhojpuri.
Political Significance:
Please leave comments.
