The world famous historian, Will Durant has written in his Story of Civilization that "the Mohammedan conquest of India was
probably the
bloodiest story in history".
Before the Moslems came to conquer, India was not exactly a zone of peace. The Hindu princes were waging petty wars all the time. But in all of them, they observed some time-honored conventions sanctioned by the Sastras. The Brahmins and the Bhikshus were never molested. The cows were never killed. The temples were never touched. The chastity of women was never violated. The ordinary people were never killed or captured. Places of habitation were never attacked unless it was a fort. The civilian
population was never looted. The soldiers who clashed belonged mostly to the martial classes and they did so mostly in open spaces obeying the code of honor. Either side did not count on the plundered wealth.
Moslems came with a different code--the Sunnah of the Prophet. Its warriors fell upon the helpless civil population after a decisive victory had been won.. They burnt down villages and towns after the defenders had died fighting or had fled. The cows, the Brahmins, and the Bhikshus were ruthlessly murdered too. The temples and monasteries were their special targets in an orgy of pillage and arson. Many of those, whom they did not kill, were captured and sold as slaves. The magnitude of the booty looted was a measure of the success of a military mission. Hindus found it very hard to understand the psychology of this new Moslem invader.
"The conquering army burnt villages, devastated the land, plundered people's wealth, took Brahmins and children and women of all classes captive
The bloodiest conquest
probably the bloodiest story in history".
Before the Moslems came to conquer, India was not exactly a zone of peace. The Hindu princes were waging petty wars all the time. But in all of them, they observed some time-honored conventions sanctioned by the Sastras. The Brahmins and the Bhikshus were never molested. The cows were never killed. The temples were never touched. The chastity of women was never violated. The ordinary people were never killed or captured. Places of habitation were never attacked unless it was a fort. The civilian population was never looted. The soldiers who clashed belonged mostly to the martial classes and they did so mostly in open spaces obeying the code of honor. Either side did not count on the plundered wealth.
Moslems came with a different code--the Sunnah of the Prophet. Its warriors fell upon the helpless civil population after a decisive victory had been won.. They burnt down villages and towns after the defenders had died fighting or had fled. The cows, the Brahmins, and the Bhikshus were ruthlessly murdered too. The temples and monasteries were their special targets in an orgy of pillage and arson. Many of those, whom they did not kill, were captured and sold as slaves. The magnitude of the booty looted was a measure of the success of a military mission. Hindus found it very hard to understand the psychology of this new Moslem invader.
"The conquering army burnt villages, devastated the land, plundered people's wealth, took Brahmins and children and women of all classes captive