Hindu Nationalism, History and Identity in India by Lars Tore Flåten

Author:Lars Tore Flåten [Flåten, Lars Tore]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Ethnic Studies, General, Regional Studies
ISBN: 9781317208716
Google: 5NZRDQAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2016-10-04T03:24:07+00:00

‘Islam’, ‘Turk’ and ‘Muslim’

The chapter ‘The World of Islam’ gives an early preview of the clashes between Islam and Hindu India, which creates expectations of further conflicts between the two alleged antagonists. These expectations are met in the chapters concerned with the establishment of Sultanate rule, from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century. The textbook’s presentation of this period is to a large degree a tale of cruelty and oppression:

The establishment of the Delhi Sultanate in AD 1206 was a landmark in Indian history. The state now established departed from the previous polities of the sub-continent in several ways. For the first time, the rulers professed a faith different from that of the populace. They also presided over an unprecedented centralisation of authority and effected an exploitation of the peasantry unparalleled in the annals of India.59

In the opening section on Sultanate rule, the textbook is inconsistent with regard to the role it ascribes to Islam. For the most part, the outline is concerned with two rulers, Iltutmish and Balban. The first is portrayed as a rather fair ruler. The textbook refers to him as a patron of the arts and responsible for the completion of the Qutb Minar.60 Regarding aggressive warfare, this chapter contains only one concrete example: ‘In 1234–35, Iltutmish marched against Malwa [and] plundered Bhilsa and Ujjain, where he destroyed the temple of Mahakala Deva.’61 In the following paragraph, the textbook presents the religious views of Iltutmish: ‘Iltutmish was a pious Muslim who demonstrated deep respect for the leading Sufi saints of his time. He also patronised the ulama and held frequent discussions on religious matters at his court. He received a robe of honour and a patent of investiture from the Caliph of Baghdad, whose name he inscribed on his coins.’62 So, being a pious Muslim is here also associated with positive aspects.

The textbook then goes on to Balban, who receives considerable attention. In terms of brutality, Balban is presented as a later version of Mahmud of Ghazni. According to the textbook, Balban ‘killed as many as possible’ in the Mewat region of Rajasthan, and in Kateher he allegedly ordered ‘a general massacre of its male population’63 Moreover, the textbook argues that Balban introduced strict rules in his court and that his theories of leadership derived from the Persian form of divine kingship.64 The negative depiction of Balban does not stop there. According to the textbook, Balban was a coward, insofar as ‘he never dared fight a Rajput raja’.65 The description of Balban closes with a rather sarcastic statement: ‘The medieval chroniclers are unable to present him as a patron of culture.’66 The textbook clearly presents Balban’s rule as disastrous in every aspect.

What is particularly striking in the depiction of Balban is that religion is not used as an explanatory factor, with one minor exception. Towards the end of the chapter, the textbook refers to how Balban brought back ‘the two sons of the raja of the Salt Range, after they had embraced Islam.’67 In the remainder

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