
Islam and Hinduism share some ritual practices, such as
fasting
Fasting is the act of refraining from eating, and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before "breakfast"), or to the metabolic sta ...
and
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
, but their views differ on various aspects. There are also hundreds of shared ritual spaces, called dargahs (literally, “doorway” or “threshold”), for Hindus and Muslims. These mark shrines for revered Muslim (frequently
Sufi
Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism.
Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
) leaders and are visited by both Muslims and Hindus. Their interaction has witnessed periods of cooperation and
syncretism
Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various school of thought, schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or religious assimilation, assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the ...
, and periods of
religious discrimination,
intolerance
Intolerance may refer to:
* Hypersensitivity or intolerance, undesirable reactions produced by the immune system
* ''Intolerance'' (film), a 1916 film by D. W. Griffith
* ''Intolerance'' (album), the first solo album from Grant Hart, formerly ...
, and
violence
Violence is characterized as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm to other living beings, or property, such as pain, injury, disablement, death, damage and destruction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence a ...
. As a
religious minority in India, Muslims are part of
Indian culture and have lived alongside Hindus for over 13 centuries.
Despite the longtime assertion that the origins of Muslim-Hindu tensions were greatly attributed to 19th century
British colonial rule in India, it has been argued that Britain had little influence on constructing the religious identities of Islam and Hinduism in the region, and that divisions existed beforehand as well. Ajay Verghese argues that the Hindu-Muslim conflict in India can be better understood by analyzing the historical relationship between the two communities. He contends that precolonial India was marked by a fluidity of religious identity and that religious boundaries were not always clear-cut. This led to a degree of intermingling between Muslims and Hindus, but also created conditions for tension and conflict.
History
Interactions between
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
and
Hindus
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
began in the 7th century, after the advent of
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
in the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world.
Geographically, the ...
. These interactions were mainly by trade throughout the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
. Historically, these interactions formed contrasting patterns in northern and southern
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. While there is a history of
conquest and domination in the north, Hindu-Muslim relations in
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
and
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
have been peaceful. However, historical evidence has shown that violence had existed by the year 1700 A.D.
Under the Mughal Empire
In the 16th century, the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
was established. Under the Mughals, India experienced a period of relative
stability and prosperity. The
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...
were known for their religious tolerance,
and they actively patronized the arts and literature. During the Mughal era,
Indian art and culture thrived, with the construction of grand monuments such as the
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...
and the
Red Fort. While the Mughals promoted religious harmony and cultural advancements and nurtured Hindu scholars, poets, and artists, facilitating a dynamic cultural interchange that enriched both
Islamic
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
and
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
traditions, there were instances of religious
conflicts between the Mughals and the Rajput over control of territories.
Aurangzeb
Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...
was criticized for his policies of religious intolerance towards Hindus.
In British India
During the 18th to 20th centuries,
India was ruled by the British, who introduced a policy of
divide and rule to maintain their control over the country. The British also introduced a system of separate electorates, which further exacerbated the divide between the Hindu and Muslim communities.
The
First Indian War of Independence in 1857, also known as the mutiny of 1857, was a major uprising against British rule in India. The rebellion was fueled by a range of grievances, including
economic exploitation, social and religious discrimination, and political oppression.
While the rebellion was not solely based on religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims, these tensions did play a role in fueling the conflict. During the rebellion, there were instances of both
Muslim and Hindu soldiers and civilians fighting together against the British, as well as instances of conflict between the two communities.
In popular culture
Music
There have been instances of syncretic cooperation on music with Islamic and Hindu themes. For example, the national poet of
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
,
Kazi Nazrul Islam, wrote many Islamic devotional songs for mainstream
Bengali folk music. He also explored Hindu devotional music by composing
Shyama Sangeet, Durga Vandana, Sarswati Vandana,
bhajans and
kirtans, often merging Islamic and Hindu values. Nazrul's poetry and songs explored the philosophy of Islam and Hinduism.
[Kamrunnessa Azad. 2001. Dharmiya Chetonay Nazrul. Nazrul Institute, Dhaka. 1999. pp. 19–20]
See also
*
Alberuni's India
*
Anti-Mosque campaign in India
*
Criticism of Hinduism
*
Din-i Ilahi
The ''Dīn-i Ilāhī'' (, ), known during its time as ''Tawḥīd-i-Ilāhī'' (, ) or Divine Faith, was a short lived syncretic religion propounded by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1582.
According to Iqtidar Alam Khan, it was based on the Tim ...
*
*
Divisions of the world in Islam
In classical Islamic law, there are three major divisions of the world which are ''dar al-Islam'' (), denoting regions where Islamic law prevails,
*
Hindu–Muslim unity
*
Hinduism and other religions
*
Islam and other religions
*
Islam in South Asia
*
Persecution of Muslims in India
*
Sufism in India
*
Violence against Muslims in India
References
Bibliography
; Relations
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; Islam in South Asia
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; Communal violence
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; General
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