The Conquests

In 725 AD, Arab conquerors established states in Sind at the mouth of the Indus River and along the Indian coast of the Arabian Sea. The Hindu rulers proved to be a strong match for the Islamic conquerors and prevented further advancement into India, although the Arabs continued to threaten.
New invasions from Afghanistan began during the 12th century. After winning a decisive battle in 1192, Muhammad of Ghur conquered almost all of Northern India. In 1193, Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak, the first Muslim Sultan of Delhi began building Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid, the first mosque in India (pictured above). The mosque was constructed from the spoils of 27 demolished Hindu temples whose figures of gods and goddesses were defaced.
In the 14th century, Baber (The Tiger) a descendant of Tamerland set his eyes on India. After sending scouting parties into India from Kabul, his army of 12,000 headed into India through the Khyber Pass. Babur was met by The Sultan of Delhi's troupes and although badly outnumbered, won a decisive battle. Babur conquered North India within a few years. Through an unbroken succession of rulers, the Moguls ruled India for almost two hundred years, firmly establishing Islam in India.

Islam in India Today

Today, Islam is practiced by about 14% of the population. Muslims believe in one God--Allah, one prophet--Muhammad, and one holy book--the Qur'an. The majority of Indian Muslims belong to the Sunni sect of Islam to which people of Arabia, North Africa, and Turkey belong. Many lower caste Hindus converted to Islam in order to escape the caste constraints of Hinduism. Often entire castes converted in mass. For this reason, some occupations are often performed solely by Muslims.

Picture Essay

• Jama Masjid in Fatehpur Sikri

Related Web Sites

• India Gateway Interactive "Islam in India"
• Indo Link Forum "How Islam came into India"
• Cyberistan Book "Muslims In The Indian Subcontinent"
• List of Mughal sites in Delhi

Sources: