Past Present: Mughals and the Religious Movements
By Mubarak Ali
February 26, 2012
Akbar (1556-1605) laid
down the foundations of an empire after conquering and occupying territories of
local Indian rulers. He introduced many reforms which consolidated the Mughal
rule. His rule was based on three elements. First, he inducted Hindus in the
state structure and integrated them socially and culturally on equal basis.
Secondly, he welcomed the Iranians to his court who were excellent
administrators and literary people. Thirdly, he Indianised the Mughal culture
by adopting Indian customs, traditional festivals and celebrations.
These efforts brought
Muslims and Hindus together. His attempt to establish a house of worship and
allow followers of different faiths to come and discuss religious issues there
not only helped to spread knowledge of various religions but also created
religious tolerance.
Akbar’s religious
policy was supported by the majority who felt comfortable and secure under its
umbrella. However, there were some elements, though not very powerful and
influential, who opposed it. Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi was one who was concerned by
the process of integration between Hindus and Muslims and by the adoption of
Hindu cultural practices; this line of action was, in his view, a threat to
Muslim identity and he criticised the culture policy of the Mughal rule.
For example, earlier
on, Babur (1500-1530), in his testament, advised Humayun to not slaughter cows
as it would be against the Hindu religion. Ahmad Sirhindi, (d. 1624) on the
other hand, pleaded that sacrificing cows was an important element of Shariah.
Akbar abolished the jaziya
or tax on Hindus in order to bring them to the fold as Mughal subjects on an
equal footing with Muslims. Sirhindi, opposing this move, proposed that Hindus
pay jaziya because it was a sign of their humiliation and subordination.
Mughal emperors
invited Iranians who were Shia, and never interfered in their beliefs. Ahmad
Sirhindi fiercely opposed Shias and their influence. Mughals promoted the
integration of Hindus and Muslims while Sirhindi condemned this trend and in
one of his letters protested that Rahim and Ram were not one and the same. He
tried to convince the Mughal nobility to promote Islamic teachings at the royal
court but he was not successful in his endeavours.
Akbar’s personality
was so strong that Sirhindi remained in oblivion. During the time of Jahangir,
he was summoned to the court because one of his letters infuriated the orthodox
Ulema and Muslims in general. In this letter he recounted a dream in which he
appeared in the presence of Almighty God; he claimed that he went so close to
God that the great friends of the Holy Prophet remained behind. Jahangir
sentenced him to prison and he was incarcerated at Gwalior Fort as punishment.
The interpretation of
history changed during the communal politics of the 1920s. Akbar and Ahmad
Sirhindi emerged as two important figures who had opposed each other. Akbar was
condemned as secular and irreligious because he had patronised all faiths and
consequently weakened the Muslim community of India. As he encouraged the
policy of integration, he was said to have polluted the purity of Islam.
On these bases some
Muslim historians blamed him for the decline of Muslim power in India. This
scenario was based on Ahmad Sirhindi, who was resurrected from historical
oblivion and presented as the champion of Islam who saved the faith in India.
His orthodox views, his zeal to revive the purity of religion and his
uncompromising attitude towards Hindus and Shias were appreciated by some
Muslim groups. In Pakistan history textbooks he is a hero and by default Akbar
a villain of sorts.
During the later
Mughal period Shah Waliullah (d.1762) emerged as an important force who made
efforts to unite the Muslim community by acting to eliminate differences of
jurisprudence and sectarian disputes between Shias and Sunnis. He also made
attempts to convince Muslims to abandon Hindu practices and customs. Seeing
that Mughal emperors of his time were too weak to arrest the growing power of
the Marhattas, he invited Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade India.
Like Ahmad Sirhindi,
he was also not well known in his own time. His influence was confined to his
students and to a section of the nobles. He was also brought to light during
the communal politics and presented as a reformer and revolutionary to inspire
the Muslim community to fight for their identity and survival. Ubaidullah
Sindhi’s book Shah Walliuallh ki siyasi tehreek or the ‘Political movement of
Shah Walliullah’, presents him as an important leader whose teachings could be
implemented in modern time to reform Muslim society.
We have inherited two
trends. One is the Mughul heritage which is liberal, secular, enlightened,
religiously tolerant, multicultural and multi-ethnic. The other is from the
religious movement which is culturally, socially and religiously rigid and thus
intolerant. Now it is up to us to choose which one we want to adhere to,
because Pakistan, despite the state’s advocacy of an official ideology, remains
a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural society.
Source: The Dawn, Karachi
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/past-present-mughals-religious-movements/d/6742