Jats during Muslim rule in India
The advent, of Islam in Arabia began in 610 A.D. during the rule of Raja Harshavardhana.
The founder of Islam, Prophet HAZRAT MOHAMMED, proclaimed himself as the messenger of God when he was 40 years of Age. He claimed that he had 'ILHAM' (Divine message) the preaching of which is called 'ISLAM'. He preached that idol worship was a sin and there is only one God. He stressed on equality and fraternity amongst all human beings and condemned discrimination.
Islam spread very fast up to the neighbouring areas of India. Its advance was stemmed at the boundaries of India.
There were two main reasons for this. Firstly the countries in which Islam succeeded were engaged in internal wars, and secondly the Gujars, who became a power in India after the death of Harshavardhana did not allow the Muslim invaders to penetrate into this country. The sheet anchor of Gujar force was the Pratihars, Chuhan and Parmars. The Solanki Kings had also joined them. They had driven away the Kauls? from Latt (Gujarat) territory.
The creation of the Agnikula and the advent of the Puranic Mat sowed the seeds of dissension amongst the Indians.
The Kings of one Gotra considered it a disgrace to have matrimonial relations with other gotras. Bhats were persuaded to change the dynastic histories to claim comparative superiority. Kings reveled in listening to the concocted glory from these bards. Every King lived in an imaginary world of glory, considered himself invincible and supreme within his own territory and looked upon alliance unnecessary and below dignity. The ruling Rajputs looked down upon others as inferior beings and thus alienated them.
Drinking became the fashion of the day. Morals descended.
Idol worship became popular and heaps of wealth were accumulated in the temples. India was called 'Bhuri Gae' (Brown cow) or 'Sone Ki Chirya' (Golden sparrow). Muslim merchants and travellers exposed this social and political weakness of this country to Muslim rulers who turned their covetous eyes towards India.
Aggression met a disunited India. Mahmud of Ghazni, a daring young ruler of Ghazni, on appreciating this condition swarmed towards the Indian frontiers and unhinged the Indian gates. He invaded this country many times with the purpose of looting the wealth of the temples and to spread Islam by terrorizing Indian population. He ransacked the whole of India, plundered all the wealth from temples and raised these to the ground- The Rajput Kingdoms due to mutual jealousy were not in a position to rally under banner to check the advance of the Muslim invaders. Individually none of them was strong enough for the task. Once this state of affairs was exposed, further invasions followed. Muhamad Gauri invaded India after Mahmud of Ghazni.
India was in a state of religious instability.
It would have spread even faster but for certain shortcomings which were not acceptable to the Hindus e.g. cow slaughter, marriage amongst first cousins and lack of hygiene in Muslim household. One thing, which helped Islam, was the inflexible attitude of Hindu priests. The slightest breach of the prevalent Hindu religious customs was unpardonable. If a chop of Beef touched the lips of a Hindu accidentally or even forcibly, it was sufficient cause for his degradation from Hinduism. Such outcasts naturally became an easy prey to Islam. They longed for generations to conjoin with their Hindu brethren, but alas, the adamant Pandits never relaxed the rigid social order and never allowed those outcasts to fulfil their dreams.
The Jats living in Northern India have always been the corner stone of Jat arch. The Rajputs could never subdue them. Nor did they provide recruitment to the army of Rajputs. As the Jat territory was a corridor through which every invader passed, some Jats did get converted to Islam. Still most of them never bowed and continued giving resistance and trouble to the oppressors.
In Muslim period of Delhi Sultanate (1192-1526) under the slave, Khilji, Tughlak, Saiyyad, Lodi Dynasty and Mughals (1526-1656), the Jats having lost their kingdom, states and social eminence, retired to the country-side controlling and tilling land with their swords girded round their wastes. They would draw the sword out of the scabbardd at the command of their Panchayat for the Muslim rulers if they are fighting against the invaders or against them if they are persecuting the Hindus. The Jats became the sons of soil.
The significant role played by Jats at the time of Mahmood Ghazni's, Mohammed Gauri's and Timur-Lane's invasions is described in detail in following sections.
The founder of Islam, Prophet HAZRAT MOHAMMED, proclaimed himself as the messenger of God when he was 40 years of Age. He claimed that he had 'ILHAM' (Divine message) the preaching of which is called 'ISLAM'. He preached that idol worship was a sin and there is only one God. He stressed on equality and fraternity amongst all human beings and condemned discrimination.
Islam spread very fast up to the neighbouring areas of India. Its advance was stemmed at the boundaries of India.
There were two main reasons for this. Firstly the countries in which Islam succeeded were engaged in internal wars, and secondly the Gujars, who became a power in India after the death of Harshavardhana did not allow the Muslim invaders to penetrate into this country. The sheet anchor of Gujar force was the Pratihars, Chuhan and Parmars. The Solanki Kings had also joined them. They had driven away the Kauls? from Latt (Gujarat) territory.
The creation of the Agnikula and the advent of the Puranic Mat sowed the seeds of dissension amongst the Indians.
The Kings of one Gotra considered it a disgrace to have matrimonial relations with other gotras. Bhats were persuaded to change the dynastic histories to claim comparative superiority. Kings reveled in listening to the concocted glory from these bards. Every King lived in an imaginary world of glory, considered himself invincible and supreme within his own territory and looked upon alliance unnecessary and below dignity. The ruling Rajputs looked down upon others as inferior beings and thus alienated them.
Drinking became the fashion of the day. Morals descended.
Idol worship became popular and heaps of wealth were accumulated in the temples. India was called 'Bhuri Gae' (Brown cow) or 'Sone Ki Chirya' (Golden sparrow). Muslim merchants and travellers exposed this social and political weakness of this country to Muslim rulers who turned their covetous eyes towards India.
Aggression met a disunited India. Mahmud of Ghazni, a daring young ruler of Ghazni, on appreciating this condition swarmed towards the Indian frontiers and unhinged the Indian gates. He invaded this country many times with the purpose of looting the wealth of the temples and to spread Islam by terrorizing Indian population. He ransacked the whole of India, plundered all the wealth from temples and raised these to the ground- The Rajput Kingdoms due to mutual jealousy were not in a position to rally under banner to check the advance of the Muslim invaders. Individually none of them was strong enough for the task. Once this state of affairs was exposed, further invasions followed. Muhamad Gauri invaded India after Mahmud of Ghazni.
India was in a state of religious instability.
It would have spread even faster but for certain shortcomings which were not acceptable to the Hindus e.g. cow slaughter, marriage amongst first cousins and lack of hygiene in Muslim household. One thing, which helped Islam, was the inflexible attitude of Hindu priests. The slightest breach of the prevalent Hindu religious customs was unpardonable. If a chop of Beef touched the lips of a Hindu accidentally or even forcibly, it was sufficient cause for his degradation from Hinduism. Such outcasts naturally became an easy prey to Islam. They longed for generations to conjoin with their Hindu brethren, but alas, the adamant Pandits never relaxed the rigid social order and never allowed those outcasts to fulfil their dreams.
The Jats living in Northern India have always been the corner stone of Jat arch. The Rajputs could never subdue them. Nor did they provide recruitment to the army of Rajputs. As the Jat territory was a corridor through which every invader passed, some Jats did get converted to Islam. Still most of them never bowed and continued giving resistance and trouble to the oppressors.
In Muslim period of Delhi Sultanate (1192-1526) under the slave, Khilji, Tughlak, Saiyyad, Lodi Dynasty and Mughals (1526-1656), the Jats having lost their kingdom, states and social eminence, retired to the country-side controlling and tilling land with their swords girded round their wastes. They would draw the sword out of the scabbardd at the command of their Panchayat for the Muslim rulers if they are fighting against the invaders or against them if they are persecuting the Hindus. The Jats became the sons of soil.
The significant role played by Jats at the time of Mahmood Ghazni's, Mohammed Gauri's and Timur-Lane's invasions is described in detail in following sections.
Comments
Post a Comment