Hindu Temples: What Happened to Them (Two Volumes)

By Sita Ram Goel

Hindu Temples: What Happened to Them - is a riveting exploration of the tumultuous clash between ideologies in ancient India. Delving into the controversial topic of Hindu temples being destroyed and converted into mosques, this book sheds light on the often-overlooked Muslim ideology of iconoclasm. Throu

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wisdom Books
• Release date: Mar 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9788196719135

Book preview

HinduTemples:

WhatHappenedtoThem

(Two Volumes)

Sita Ram Goel

Table of Contents

Volume I (A Preliminary Survey)

Preface

1. Hideaway Communalism

Its Head

His Father and His Book

A Sudden Reluctance

This valuable gift, this historical testament

The Explanation

It is said

Conclusions

2. The Tip of An Iceberg

Epigraphic Evidence

Literary Evidence

3. Some Historical Questions

4. In the Name of Religion

5. A Need to Face the Truth

Early Islam

Semitic Revelation

Chosen People

Earthly Reward

Iconoclasm

Islam's Religious Policy

No Easy Solution

6. Historians Versus History

British Historians

Muslim Historians

Hindu Historians

Post-Independence Period

Marxist Distortions

7. November 9 Will Change History

8. From Shilanyas to Berlin Wall

9. Rama-Janmabhumi Temple Muslim Testimony

Failure of Jihad

Clinching the Issue

10. Let the Mute Witnesses Speak

Tordi (Rajasthan)

Naraina (Rajasthan)

Chatsu (Rajasthan)

SaheTh-MaheTh (Uttar Pradesh)

Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh)

Vaishali (Bihar)

Gaur and Pandua (Bengal)

Devikot (Bengal)

Tribeni (Bengal)

Mandu (Madhya Pradesh)

Dhar (Madhya Pradesh)

Vijayanagar (Karnataka)

Bijapur (Karnataka)

Badami (Karnataka)

The Pattern of Destruction

A Preliminary Survey

ANDHRA PRADESH

I. Adilabad District.

II. Anantpur District.

III. Cuddapah District

IV. East Godavari District.

V. Guntur District.

VI. Hyderabad District.

VII. Karimnagar District.

VIII. Krishna District.

IX. Kurnool District.

X. Mahbubnagar District.

XI. Medak District.

XII. Nalgonda District.

XIII. Nellore District.

XIV. Nizambad District.

XV. Osmanabad District.

XVI. Rangareddy District.

XVII. Srikakulam District

XVIII. Vishakhapatnam District.

XIX. Warangal District.

XX. West Godavari District.

ASSAM

District Kamrup

BENGAL

I. Bankura District.

II. Barisal District.

III. Birbhum District.

IV. Bogra District.

V. Burdwan District.

VI. Calcutta District.

VII. Chatgaon District.

VIII. Dacca District.

IX. Dinajpur District.

X. Faridpur District.

XI. Hooghly District.

XII. Howrah District.

XIII. Khulna District.

XIV. Malda District.

XV. Midnapur District.

XVI. Murshidabad District.

XVII. Noakhali District.

XVIII. Pabna District.

XIX. Rajshahi District.

XX. Rangpur District.

XXI. Sylhet District.

XXII. 24-Parganas District.

BIHAR

I. Bhagalpur District.

II. Gaya District.

III. Monghyr District.

IV. Muzaffarpur District.

V. Nalanda District.

VI. Patna District.

VII. Purnea District.

VIII. Saran District.

IX. Shahabad District.

X. Vaishali District.

XI. District to be determined.

DELHI

I. Mehrauli

II. Sultan Ghari

III. Palam

IV. Begumpur

V. Tughlaqabad

VI. Chiragh-Delhi

VII. Nizamud-DIn

VIII. Hauz Khas

IX. Malviyanagar

X. Lodi Gardens

XI. Purana Qila

XII. Shahjahanabad

XIII. Ramakrishnapuram

XIV. The Ridge

XV. Wazirabad

XVI. South Extension

XVII. Other Areas

DIU

GUJARAT

I. Ahmadabad District.

II. Banaskantha District.

III. Baroda District.

IV. Bharuch District.

V. Bhavnagar District.

VI. Jamnagar District.

VII. Junagarh District.

VIII. Kachchh District.

IX. Kheda District.

X. Mehsana District.

XI. Panch Mahals District.

XII. Rajkot District.

XIII. Sabarkantha District.

XIV. Surat District.

XV. Surendranagar District.

HARYANA

I. Ambala District.

II. Faridabad District.

III. Gurgaon District.

IV. Hissar District.

V. Karnal District.

VI. Kurukshetra District.

VII. Mahendergarh District.

VIII. Rohtak District.

IX. Sonepat District.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

KARNATAKA

I. Bangalore District.

II. Belgaum District.

III. Bellary District.

IV. Bidar District.

V. Bijapur District.

VI. Chickmanglur District.

VII. Chitaldurg District.

VIII. Dharwad District.

IX. Gulbarga District.

X. Kolar District.

XI. Mandya District.

XII. Mysore District.

XIII. North Kanara District.

XIV. Raichur District.

XV. Shimoga District.

XVI. Tumkur District,

KASHMIR

KERALA

LAKSHADWEEP

MADHYA PRADESH

I. Betul District.

II. Bhopal District.

III. Bilaspur District.

IV. Damoh District.

V. Dewas District.

VI. Dhar District.

VII. Dholpur District.

VIII. East Nimar District.

IX. Guna District.

X. Gwalior District.

XI. Indore District.

XII. Mandsaur District.

XIII. Morena District.

XIV. Panna District.

XV. Raisen District.

XVI. Rajgarh District.

XVII. Ratlam District.

XVIII. Sagar District.

XIX. Sehore District.

XX. Shajapur District.

XXI. Shivpuri District.

XXII. Ujjain District.

XXIII. Vidisha District.

XXIV. West Nimar District.

MAHARASHTRA

I. Ahmadnagar District.

II. Akola District.

III. Amravati District.

IV. Aurangabad District.

V. Bid District.

VI. Bombay District.

VII. Buldana District.

VIII. Dhule District.

IX. Jalgaon District.

X. Kolhapur District.

XI. Nagpur District.

XII. Nanded District.

XIII. Nasik District.

XIV. Osmanabad District.

XV. Parbhani District.

XVI. Pune District.

XVII. Ratnagiri District.

XVIII. Sangli District.

XIX. Satara District.

XX. Sholapur District.

XXI. Thane District.

XXII. Wardha District.

ORISSA

I. Baleshwar District.

II. Cuttack District.

III. Ganjam District.

PUNJAB

I. Bhatinda District.

II. Gurdaspur District.

III. Jalandhar District.

IV. Ludhiana District.

V. Patiala District.

VI. Ropar District.

VII. Sangrur District.

RAJASTHAN

I. Ajmer District.

II. Alwar District.

III. Bharatpur District.

IV. Chittaurgarh District.

V. Jaipur District.

VI. Jaisalmer District.

VII. Jalor District.

VIII. Jhalawar District.

IX. Jhunjhunu District.

X. Jodhpur District.

XI. Kota District.

XII. Nagaur District.

XIII. Sawai Madhopur District.

XIV. Sikar District.

XV. Tonk District.

XVI. Udaipur District.

TAMIL NADU

I. Chingleput District.

II. Coimbatore District.

III. Madras District.

IV. Madura District.

V. North Arcot District.

VI. Ramanathapuram District.

VII. Salem District.

VIII. South Arcot District.

IX. Thanjavur District.

X. Tiruchirapalli District.

XI. Tirunelvelli District.

UTTAR PRADESH

I. Agra District.

II. Aligarh District

III. Allahabad District.

IV. Azamgarh District.

V. Badaun District.

VI. Bahraich District.

VII. Ballia District.

VIII. Banda District.

IX. Bara Banki District.

X. Bareilly District.

XI. Bijnor District.

XII. Bulandshahar District.

XIII. Etah District.

XIV. Etawah District.

XV. Farrukhabad District.

XVI. Fatehpur District.

XVII. Fyzabad District.

XVIII. Ghazipur District.

XIX. Gonda District.

XX. Gorakhpur District.

XXI. Hamirpur District

XXII. Hardoi District.

XXIII. Jalaun District.

XXIV. Jaunpur District.

XXV. Jhansi District.

XXVI. Kanpur District.

XXVII. Lucknow District.

XXVIII. Mainpuri District.

XXIX. Mathura District.

XXX. Mecrut District.

XXXI. Mirzapur District.

XXXII. Moradabad District.

XXXIII. Muzaffarnagar District.

XXXIV. Pilibhit District.

XXXV. Pratapgarh District.

XXXVI. Rampur District.

XXXVII. Rae Bareli District.

XXXVIII. Saharanpur District.

XXXIX. Shahjahanpur District.

XL. Sitapur District.

XLI. Sultanpur District.

XLII. Unao District.

XLIII. Varanasi District.

Appendix

INCIDENTS OF COMMUNAL REPRESSION IN BANGLADESH Occurred on the Pretext of Babri-Masjid / Ram-Mandir Situation in India

Volume II (The Islamic Evidence)

Preface

1. The Dispute at Sidhpur

The Note from the Government of Gujarat

The Archaeological Survey of India

Report of the Minorities' Commission

Article by B.L. Nagarch

1. The Buried Temples

2. Smothered Sculptures

3. Inside the Qibla Wall of the Masjid

4. Converted Shrines

2. The Story of Rudramahãlaya

Sidhpur

Rudramahãlaya

The Jãmi Masjid

Verse

Siddharãja JayasiMha

3. Muslim Response to Hindu Protection

Legends about Mahmûd of Ghazni

Conclusion

4. The Marxist Historians

The Keshavadeva Tradition at Mathura

Why Aurangzeb Destroyed the Temple

Putting the Cart Before the Horse

The Logic of the Argument

The Argument about Historicity

The Birth-Place of Shri Rãma

The Appropriate Context

5. Spreading the Big Lie

6. The Epigraphic Evidence

1. Delhi

2. Vijapur

3. Chittaurgarh

4. Manvi

5. Dhar

6. Malan

7. Amod

8. Narwar

9. Jaunpur

10. Ghoda

11. Poonamalle

12. Udayagiri

13. Bodhan

14. Mathura

15. Gwalior

16. Akot

17. Bidar

18. Siruguppa

19. Cuddapah

20. Surat

21. Cumbum

Conclusions

7. The Literary Evidence

(1) Futûhul-Buldãn

Ibn Samûrah (AD 653)

Qutaibah bin Muslim al-Bãhilî (AD 705-715)

Muhammad bin Qãsim (AD 712-715)

Hashãm bin Amrû al-Taghlabî

(2) Tãrîkh-i-Tabarî

Qutaibah bin Muslim al-Bãhilî (AD 705-715)

Yãqûb bin Laith (AD 870-871)

(3) Tãrîkhu'l-Hind

Jalam ibn Shaiban (Ninth century AD)

Sultãn Mahmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

(4) Kitãbul-Yamînî

Amîr Subuktigîn of Ghazni (AD 977-997)

Sultãn Mahmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

(5) Dîwãn-i-Salmãn

Sultãn Abul Muzaffar Ibrãhîm (AD 1059-1099)

(6) Chach-Nãmah

Muhammad bin Qãsim (AD 712-715)

(7) Jãmiul-Hikãyãt

Amrû bin Laith (AD 879-900)

(8) Tãjul-Masîr

Sultãn Muhammad Ghûrî (AD 1175-1206)

Sultãn Shamsud-Dîn Iltutmish (AD 1210-1236)

(9) Kãmilut-Tawãrîkh

Khalîfa Al-Mahdî (AD 775-785)

Sultãn Mahmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

(10) Tãrîkh-i-Jahãn-Kushã

Sultãn Jalãlud-Dîn Mankbarnî (AD 1222-1231)

(11) Tabqãt-i-Nãsirî

Sultãn Mahmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

Sultãn Shamsud-Dîn Iltutmish (AD 1210-1236)

(12) Ãsãrul-Bilãd

Sultãn Muhmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

Muhammad bin Qãsim (AD 712-715)

(13) Nizãmut-Tawãrîkh

(14) Miftãhu'l-Futûh

Sultãn Jalãlud -Dîn Khaljî (AD 1290-1296)

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1296-1316)

(15) Khazãinul-Futûh

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1296-1316)

(16) Dawal Rãnî-Khizr Khãnî

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1296-1316)

(17) Nuh Siphir

Sultãn Mubãrak Shãh Khaljî (AD 1316-1320)

(18) Siyarul-Auliyã

Shykh Muîn al-Dîn Chistî of Ajmer (d. AD 1236)

(19) Tãrîkh-i-Wassãf

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1296-1316)

(20) Tãrîkh-i-Guzîda

Sultãn Mahmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

(21) Masãlikul Absãr fi Mamãlikul Amsãr

Sultãn Muhammad bin Tughlaq (AD 1325-1351)

(22) Futûhus-Salãtîn

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1296-1316)

(23) Rehalã of Ibn Battûta

(24) Tãrîkh-i-Fîrûz Shãhî

Sultãn Jalãlud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1290-1296)

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1296-1316)

(25) Tãrîkh-i-Fîrûz Shãhî

Sultãn Fîrûz Shãh Tughlaq (AD 1351-1388)

(26) Inshã-i-Mãhrû

Sultãn Fîrûz Shãh Tughlaq (AD 1351-1388)

(27) Futûhãt-i-Fîrûz Shãhî

(28) Sîrat-Fîrûz Shãhî

Sultãn Fîrûz Shãh Tughlaq (AD 1351-1388)

(29) Tãrîkh-i-Mubãrak Shãhî

Sultãn Shamsud-Dîn Iltutmish (AD 1210-1236)

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1296-1316)

(30) Tãrîkh-i-Muhammadî

Sultãn Ghiyãsud-Dîn Tughlaq Shãh II (AD 1388-89)

Sultãn Nasîrud-Dîn Mahmûd Shãh Tughlaq (AD 1389-1412)

(31) Jawamiul Kilãm

Shykh Jalãlud-Dîn Tabrizî (AH 533-623)

(32) Habîbus-Siyar

Sultãn Mahmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

(33) Bãbur-Nãma

Zahîrud-Dîn Muhammad Bãbur Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1526-1530)

(34) Siyarul-Ãrifîn

Shykh Abû Bakr Tûsî Haidarî (Thirteenth Century AD)

(35) Tãrîkh-i-Shãhî

Sultãn Sikandar Lodî (AD 1489-1517)

Sultãn Ibrãhim Lodî (AD 1517-1526)

(36) Tãrîkh-i-Sher Shãhî

Sher Shãh Sûr (AD 1538-1545)

(37) Wãqiãt-i-Mushtãqî

Sultãn Sikandar Lodî (AD 1489-1517)

Sultãn Ghiyãsud-Dîn Khaljî of Malwa (AD 1469-1500)

(38) Tãrîkh-i-Alfî

Sultãn Mahmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

(39) Burhãn-i-Masir

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Hasan Bahman Shãh (AD 1347-1358)

(40) Tabqãt-i-Akharî

Amîr Subuktigîn (AD 977-997)

Sultãn Mahmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

Sultãn Abû-Saîd Masûd of Ghazni (AD 1030-1042)

Ikhtiyãrud-Dîn Muhammad Bakhtiyãr Khaljî (AD 1202-1206)

Sultãn Shamsud-Dîn Iltutmish (AD 1210-1236)

Sultãn Jalãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1290-1296)

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1296-1316)

Sultãn Fîrûz Shãh Tughlaq (AD 1351-1388)

Sultãn Sikandar Lodî (AD 1489-1517)

Sultãn Ibrãhîm Lodî (AD 1517-1526)

Sultãn Mahmûd bin Ibrãhîm Sharqî (AD 1440-1457)

Sultãn Mahmûd Khaljî of Malwa (AD 1436-1469)

Sultãn Muzaffar Shãh I of Gujarat (AD 1392-1410)

Sultãn Ahmad Shãh I of Gujarat (AD 1411-1443)

Sultãn Qutbud-Dîn Ahmad Shãh II of Gujarat (AD 1451-1458)

Sultãn Mahmûd BegDhã of Gujarat (AD 1458-1511)

Sultãn Muzaffar Shãh II of Gujarat (AD 1511-1526)

Sultãn Sikandar Butshikan of Kashmir (AD 1389-1413)

Sultãn Fath Shãh of Kashmir (AD 1489-1499 and 1505-1516)

Jalãlud-Dîn Muhammad Akbar Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1556-1605)

(41) Muntakhãbut-Tawãrîkh

Sultãn Muhmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

Ikhtiyãrud-Dîn Muhammad Bakhtiyãr Khaljî (AD 1202-1206)

Sultãn Shamsud-Dîn Iltutmish (AD 1210~1236)

Sultãn Jalãlud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1290-1296)

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1296-1316)

Sultãn Sikandar Lodî (AD 1489-1517)

Sultãn Ibrãhîm Lodî (AD 1517-1526)

Jalãlud-Dîn Muhammad Akbar Pãdshãh Ghãzi (AD 1556-1605)

Sultãn Sulaimãn Karrãnî of Bengal (AD 1563-1573)

(42) Shash Fath-i-Kãñgrã

Nûrud-Dîn Muhammad Jahãngîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1605-1628)

(43) Tãrîkh-i-Daûdî

Sultãn Sikandar Lodî (AD 1489-1517)

Sher Shãh Sûr (AD 1538-1545)

(44) Zafarul-Wãlih Bi Muzaffar Wa Ãlîhi

Sultãn Shamsud-Dîn Iltutmish (AD 1210-1236)

Sultãn Jalãlud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1290-1296)

Sultãn Mahmûd BegDhã of Gujarat (AD 1485-1511)

(45) Zubdatut-Tawãrîkh

Sultãn Sikandar Lodî (AD 1489-1517)

Jalãlud-Dîn Muhammad Akbar Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1556-1605)

(46) Tãrîkh-i-Firishta

Amîr Subuktigîn of Ghazni (AD 977-997)

Sultãn Mahmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

Sultãn Masûd I of Ghazni (1030~1042)

Sultãn Masûd III of Ghazni (AD 1099-1151)

Sultãn Muhammad Ghûrî (AD 1175-1216)

Sultãn Shamsud-Dîn Iltutmish (AD 1210-1236)

Sultãn Jalãlud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1290-1296)

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1296-1316)

Sultãn Fîrûz Shãh Tughlaq (AD 1351-1388)

Sultãn Sikandar Lodî (AD 1489-1517)

Sultãn Ibrãhîm Lodî (AD 1517-1526)

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Mujãhid Shãh Bahmanî (AD 1375-1378)

Sultãn Ahmad Shãh I Walî Bahmanî (AD 1422-1435)

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Ahmad Shãh II Bahmanî (AD 1436-1458)

Sultãn Muhammad Shãh II Bahmanî (AD 1463-1482)

Sultãn Alî Ãdil Shãh I of Bijapur (AD 1557-1579)

Sultãn Qulî Qutb Shãh of Golconda (AD 1507-1543)

Sultãn Ibrãhîm Qutb Shãh of Golconda (AD 1550-1580)

Sultãn Muhammad Qulî Qutb Shãh of Golconda (AD 1580-1612)

Sultãn Muzaffar Shãh I of Gujarat (AD 1392-1410)

Sultãn Ahmad Shãh I of Gujrat (AD 1411-1443)

Sultãn Mahmûd BegDhã of Gujarat (AD 1458-1511)

Sultãn Muzaffar Shãh II of Gujarat (AD 1511-1526)

Sultãn Mahmûd Khaljî of Malwa (AD 1435-1469)

Sultãn Mahmûd Shãh bin Ibrãhîm Sharqî of Jaunpur (AD 1440-1457)

Muhammad bin Qãsim (AD 712-715)

Sultlãn Jalãlud-Dîn Mankbarnî of Khwarîzm (AD 1222-1231)

Sultãn Sikandar Butshikan of Kashmir (AD 1389-1413)

Sultãn Fath Shãh of Kashmir (AD 1485-1499 and 1505-1516)

(47) Tûzuk-i-Jahãngîrî

(48) Tãrîkh-i-Khãn Jahãn Lodî

Sultãn Mahmûd of Ghazni (AD 997-1030)

Sultãn Sikandar Lodî (AD 1489-1517)

Sultãn Ibrãhîm Lodî (AD 1517-1526)

Sultãn Sulaimãn Karrãnî of Bengal (AD 1563-1576)

(49) Mirãt-i-Sikandarî

Sultãn Muzaffar Shãh I of Gujarat (AD 1392-1410)

Sultãn Ahmad Shãh I of Gujarat (AD 1411-1443)

Sultãn Mahmûd BegDhã of Gujarat (AD 1458-1511)

Sultãn Muzaffar Shãh II of Gujarat (AD 1511-1526)

Sultãn Bahãdur Shãh of Gujarat (AD 1526-1537)

(50) Intikhãb-i-Jahãngîr Shãbî

Nûrud-Dîn Muhammad Jahãngîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1605-1628)

(51) TazkirãtuI-Mulûk

Sultãn Alî I Ãdilshãh of Bijapur (AD 1557-1580)

(52) Tãrîkh-i-Kashmîr

Sultãn Sikandar Butshikan of Kashmir (AD 1389-1413)

Malik Mûsã of Kashmir

Sufi Mîr Shamsud-Dîn Irãqî

(53) Mirãt-i-Masûdî

Saiyyid Sãlãr Masûd Ghãzî (AD 1013-1033)

(54) Siyar al-Aqtãb

Shykh Muîn al-Dîn Chishtî of Ajmer (d. AD 1236)

(55) Bãdshãh-Nãma

Nûrud-Dîn Muhammad Jahãngîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1605-1628)

Shihãbud-Dîn Muhammad Shãh Jahãn Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1628-1658)

(56) Shãhjahãn-Nãma

Shihãbud-Dîn Muhammad Shãh Jahãn Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1628-1658)

(57) Mirãt-i-Ãlam

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1658-1707)

(58) Ãlamgîr-Nãma

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1658-1707)

(59) Mãsîr-i-Ãlamgîrî

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1658-1707)

(60) Akhbãrãt

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1658-1707)

(61) Fathiyya-i-Ibriyya

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1658-1707)

(62) Kalimãt-i-Tayyibãt

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1658-1707)

(63) Ganj-i-Arshadî

Mubiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1658-1707)

(64) Kalimãt-i-Aurangzeb

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1658-1707)

(65) Muraqãt-i-AbuI Hasan

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1658-1707)

(66) Futûhãt-i-Ãlamgîrî

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 16M-1707)

(67) Nau-Bahãr-i-Murshid Qulî-Khãnî

Nasirud-Dîn Muhammad Shãh Bahãdur Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1719-1748)

(68) Kanzul-Mahfûz

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1658-1707)

(69) Muntikhãbul-Lubãb

Shihãbud-Dîn Muhammad Shãh Jahãn Pãdshãh Ghãzî (1628-1658)

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (1658-1707)

Shãh Ãlam Bahãdur Shãh Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1707-1712)

(70) Mirat-i-Ahmadî

Sultãn Alãud-Dîn Khaljî (AD 1296-1316)

Sultãn Muzaffar Shãh I of Gujarat (AD 1392-1410)

Sultãn Ahmad Shãh I of Gujarat (AD 1411-1443)

Sultãn Mahmûd BegDãh of Gujarat (AD 1458-1511)

Muhiyud-Dîn Muhammad Aurangzeb Ãlamgîr Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1658-1707)

(71) Tãrîkh-i-Ibrãhîm Khãn

Ahmad Shãh Abdãlî (AD 1747-1773)

(72) Tãrîkh-i-Husain Shãhî

Ahmad Shãh Abdãlî (AD 1747-1773)

(73) Nishãn-i-Haidarî

Tipu Sultan (AD 1782-1799)

(74) Riyãzus-Salãtîn

Ikhtiyãrud-Dîn Muhammad Bakhtiyãr Khaljî (AD 1202-1206)

Sulaimãn Karrãnî of Bengal (AD 1563-1576)

(75) Bahãr-iÃzam

Sufi Nãtthar Walî

Sufi Shãh Bheka

Sufi Qãyim Shãh

Sufi Nûr Muhammad Qãdirî

(76) Ãsãrus-Sanãdîd

Qutbud-Dîn Aibak (AD 1192-1210)

Sultãn Shamsud-Dîn Iltutmish (AD 1210-1236)

Sultãn Ghiyãsud-Dîn Tughlaq (AD 1320-1325)

Nasîrud-Dîn Muhammad Humãyûn Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1530-1540 and 1556)

(77) Hadiqah-i-Shuhadã

Zahîrud-Dîn Muhammad Bãbur Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1026-1030)

(78) Muraqqa-i-Khusrawî

Zahîrud-Dîn Muhammad Bãbur Pãdshãh Ghãzî (AD 1526-1530)

(79) Wãqiãt-i-Mamalakat-i-Bîjãpur

Sultãn Alî Ãdil Shãh I of Bijapur (AD 1558-1580)

(80) Mosque Architecture of Pre-Mughal Bengal

8. Summing Up

9. Theology of Monotheism

Meaning of Scripture

Rise of Theology

Role of Theology

Theology of Islam

10. The Pre-Islamic Arabs

Character of Pre-Islamic Arabs

11. Religion of Pagan Arabia

The Pagan Arab Pantheon

Al-Lãh

Al-Malik

Bal or Baal

El

Al-Lãt

Manãt

Al-Uzzã

Shams

Dhush-Sharã

At-Thuraiyã

QuzaH

Wadd

RuDã

Jadd

Sad

Manãf

Nasr

Auf

Yagûth

Yauq and Suwã

Hubal

Isãf and Nãila

Al-Qais

Al-UqaiSir

Shai al-Qaum

Duwar

Conclusion

12. Monotheism Spreads to Arabia

13. Meaning of Monotheism

14. The Bible Appears in Arabic

Iconoclasm in the Quran

15. Muhammad and the Meccans

16. The Prophet Destroys Pagan Temples

The Temple of Kaaba

Idols in Mecca

The Temple of al-Uzzã

The Temple of Suwã

The Temple of Al-Manãt

The Sacred Tree

Temple of Dhul Kaffayn

Temples Around Tãif

The Mosque of Opposition

Invitations to Islam

The Year of Deputations

The Temple of Al-Lãt

Temples of B. Sad B. Bakr

The Temple of B. Sulaym

The Christian Church of Yamãma

The Temples of Fils and RuDã in Tayy

The Temple of Amm Anas

The Temple of Uzra

The Temple of Al-Jahîna

The Temple of Farrãz

The Temple of Dhul-KhalaSa

The Temple of RuDã

Conclusion

The Place of Sunnah in Islam

Appendix 1 - Muslim Dynasties in India's History

Muslim Dynasties

I. The Caliphate (632-1258)

II. The Saffãrid Dynasty of Seistan (871-900)

III. The Qarãmitah Dynasty of Multan (980-1175)

IV. The Yamînî or Ghaznivid Dynasty (977-1186)

V. The Shanshabãnî or Ghûrid Dynasty (1149-1206)

VI. The Khwãrizmian Dynasty (1121-1231)

VII. The Mamlûk or Slave Dynasties of Delhi (1206-1290)

VIII. The Khaljî Dynasty of Delhi (1290-1320)

IX The Tughlaq Dynasty of Delhi (1320-1412)

X The Shãh Mîr Dynasty of Kashmir (1339-1561)

XI. The Bahmanî Dynasty of the Deccan (1347-1527)

XII. The Muslim Dynasty of Gujarat (1392-1572)

XIII. The Sharqî Dynasty of Jaunpur (1394-1479)

XIV. The Khaljî Dynasty of Malwa (1435-1531)

XV. Lodî Dynasty of Delhi/Agra (1451-1526)

XVI. The Nizãm Shãhî Dynasty of Ahmadnagar (1490-1630)

XVII. The Ãdil Shãhî Dynasty of Bijapur (1490-1686)

XVIII. The Qutb Shãhî Dynasty of Golconda (1507-1687)

XIX. The Mughal Dynasty of Agra/Delhi (1526-1857)

XX. The Sûr Dynasty of Agra/Delhi (1540-1556)

XXI. The Karrãnî Dynasty of Bengal (1563-1576)

XXII. The Mughal Sûbãhdãrs of Bengal (1717-1757)

XXIII. Abdãlî or Durrãnî Dynasty of Afghanistan (1747-1818)

XXIV. Muslim Usurpers in Mysore (1761-1799)

XXV. Sufis or Warrior Saints

Appendix 2 - Was the Kaaba a Shiva Temple?

Hindu Presence in Arabia

The Pagan Arab Pantheon

The Kaaba

The Hindu Tradition

Appendix 3 - Meaning of the Word Hindu

Appendix 4 - Questionnaire for the Marxist Professors

HinduTemples:

WhatHappenedtoThem

VolumeI

(APreliminarySurvey)

Sita Ram Goel

Preface

ThemovementfortherestorationoftheRamajanmabhumi Templeat Ayodhya hasbrought totheforeasuppressedchapterofIndia'shistory, namely,thelarge-scale destruction ofHindutemples[1] bytheIslamised invaders. Thischapterisbynomeansclosed. TheAppendix tothisbook provides details of many temples destroyed by Muslims all over BangladeshasrecentlyasOctober-November 1989. Currently,temples,or whatever hadremainedofthem,aremeetingasimilarfateintheKashmir valley.

Thischapter, however,thoughsignificant, wasonlyapartoftheMuslim behaviour-pattern asrecorded byMuslim historians ofmedieval India. The otherpartswere:1)massslaughter ofpeoplenotonlyduringwarbutalso afterthearmiesofIslamhademerged victorious; 2)captureoflarge numbersofnon-combatantmen,womenandchildrenasbootyandtheir saleasslavesallovertheIslamicworld;3)forcibleconversion toIslamof peoplewhowereinnopositiontoresist;4)reductiontothestatusof zimmisornon-citizensofallthosewhocouldnotbeconverted and imposition ofinhumandisabilitiesonthem;5)emasculationofthezimmis by preventing them from possessing arms; 6) impoverishment of the zimmisthroughheavy discriminatory taxes and misappropriation ofamajor partofwhatthepeasantsproduced; 7)ruinationofthenativeandnational cultureofthezimmisbysuppressingandholdingincontempt allits institutions and expressions.

Noristhisbehaviourpatternathingofthepast. Itpersistedevenafter theMuslimrulewasover. TheMuslimrevivalistmovements inthe nineteenthcentury,particularly inBengal,triedtorepeat,asfarasthey could,theperformanceofthemedievalMuslimswordsmenandsultans. Morerecently,aftertheIslamicstateofPakistanwascarvedout,Hindus havebeenforcedtoleavetheirancestral homes,enmassefromitswestern wingandinacontinuous streamofrefugeesfromitseasternwing,nowan independent IslamicstateofBangladesh thatcameintobeingwiththehelp ofIndia. Hindutemplesandotherculturalinstitutionshavemoreorless disappearedfromPakistan,whiletheycontinuetobeunderconstantattack in Bangladesh.

Howtounderstand thisbehaviourpatternsopersistently followedovera thousandyearsunderverydifferentconditions andsoconsistent inits expression? What is its deeper ideological source?

ItisrootedinIslam'sreligiousteachings,itstheologyanditsreligious laws;itderivesfromitspeculiarconception ofmominsandkafirs,fromits doctrines ofJihad,Darul-Islam andDarul-harb, andfromwhatitregardsas thedutyofaMuslimstate. HinduIndiaiscalledupontomakeadeeper studyofIslamthanithashitherto done. Itcanneglectthistaskatitsown peril.

The present volume makes nopretence ofpresenting suchastudy, butby choice restrictsitselfmainlytothestudyofHindutemplesdestroyed and desecrated andconvertedintomosquesandkhanqahswithoutoverlooking Muslimsideologyoficonoclasm; hereandthere,italsomentionsother theologicalpropsandconcomitantsoftheiconoclasticideology. Inthe bookAyodhyaretainitsimportance,butitdoesnotoccupythecentreof discussion. Indealingwithitssubject,itexercisescompletefidelityto truth;unlikesecularist andMarxistwriters,itdoesnotbelieveinre-writing andfabricatinghistory. Itsaimistoraisetheinformationallevelofour peopleandtomakethembetterawareofthemorepersistentideological forces at work.

Mahavira Jayanti. April 7, 1990

1. Hideaway Communalism

Arun Shourie

AcaseinwhichtheEnglishversion ofamajorbookbyarenowned Muslim scholar,thefourthRectorofoneofthegreatestcentresof Islamic learning inIndia,listingsomeofthemosques,includingthe Babri Masjid,which were built onthesitesandfoundationsoftemples, usingtheirstonesandstructures,isfoundtohavethetell-tale passages censored out;

The book is said to have become difficult to get;

Itis traced: Andisfoundtohavebeencommandedjust15yearsa-o bythemostinfluential livingMuslimscholarofourcountrytoday,the currentRectorofthatgreatcentreofIslamiclearning, andthe Chairman of the Muslim Personal Law Board.

Evasion,concealment, havebecomeanationalhabit.Andtheyhave terrible consequences. But first I must give you some background.

TheNadwatul-Ulama ofLucknowisoneoftheprincipalcentresof IslamiclearninginIndia.Itwasfoundedin1894. Itrankstodaynextonly totheDarul-UlumatDeoband. Thegovernmentpublication,Centresof IslamicLearning inIndia,recallshowthefoundersaimedatproducing capable scholars whocould project atrue image ofIslam before the modern worldinaneffectiveway;itrecallshowTowardsfulfillingitsavowedaim inthematterofeducational reform,it(thegroup)decidedtoestablishan idealeducational institutionwhichwouldnotonlyprovideeducationin religiousandtemporalsciencesbutalsooffertechnical training;itrecalls howIt(the Nadwa)standsouttoday-with itscollege, avastandrichlibrary andResearch andPublicationDepartmentshousedinfinebuildings-asone ofthemostoutstanding institutionsforimpartinginstructionintheIslamic Sciences;itrecallshowAsalientfeatureofthisinstitutionisitsemphasis onindependent research; itrecalls howThe library ofthe Nadwa,housedin theCentralHallandthesurroundingroomsofthemainbuilding, is,with morethan75,000titlesincludingabout3,000handwritten booksmostlyin ArabicandalsoinPersian, Urdu,Englishetc.,oneofthefinestlibraries of thesub-continent.Thatwaswritten10yearsago. Thelibrarynowhas 125,000 books.

Its Head

TodaytheinstitutionisheadedbyMaulanaAbul-HasanAliNadwi. Ali Mian,asheisknowntooneandall,isalmostwithout doubtthemost influential Muslim teacher andfiguretoday-among thelaity,ingovernment circles, and among scholars and governments abroad.

HewasamongthefoundersoftheJamaat-e-Islami,thefundamentalist organisation; butbecauseofdifferences withMaulanaMaudoodi,lieleftit soon.

Today lie is the Chairman of the Muslim Personal Law Board.

HeisafoundermemberoftheRaabtaAlam-e-Islami,thePan-Islamic bodywithheadquartersinMecca,whichdecidesamongotherthingsthe amounts that different Islamic organisations the world over should receive.

HehasbeentheNazim,thatistheRector,oftheDarulUlumNadwatul- Ulama since1961,thatisforwelloveraquarterofacentury. TheNadwa owesnotasmallpartofitseminencetothescholarship, theexertions,tile national and international contacts of Ali Mian.

Politicians ofallhues---RajivGandhi,V.P.Singh,Chandrashekhar-seek him out.

Heistheauthorofseveralbooks,including thewellknownInsaani Duniya ParMusalmanonKe Uruj-o-ZavalKa Asar(Theimpact oftheRise andFallofMuslims onMankind),andistakenastheauthority onIslamic law, jurisprudence, theology, and specially history.

Andhehasgreat, infact decisive, influence onthe politics ofMuslims in India.

His Father and His Book

Hisfather, Maulana Hakim Sayid AbdulHai,wasanequally wellknown andinfluential figure. WhentheNadwawasfounded,thefirstRector, MaulanaMuhammad Monghyri,thescholaratwhoseinitiativetheoriginal meetingin1892whichledtotheestablishmentoftheNadwawascalled, hadchosenMaulanaAbdulHaiastheMadadgar Nazim,theAdditional Rector.

AbdulHaiservedinthatcapacity tillJuly1915whenhewasappointed the Rector.

Because of his scholarship and his services to the institution and to Islam, hewasreappointed astheRectorin1920. Hecontinued inthatposttillhis death in February 1923.

Hetoowroteseveralbooks,including afamousdirectory whichhasjust been republished from Hyderabad, of thousands of Muslims who had served thecauseofIslaminIndia,chieflybythenumbers theyhad converted to the faith.

During some workIcame acrossthe reference to abookofhis and began to look for it.

Itwasalong,discursive book,Ilearnt,whichbeganwithdescriptions of thegeography, floraandfauna,languages, peopleandtheregionsof India. ThesewerewrittenfortheArabicspeaking peoples,thebookhavingbeen written in Arabic.

In1972,Ilearnt,theNadwatul-Ulama hadthebooktranslatedintoUrdu andpublished themostimportant chaptersofthebookunderthetitle HindustanIslamiAhadMein(HindustanunderIslamicRule). AliMian,I wastold, hadhimself written theforewordinwhich hehadcommanded the bookmosthighly. Thebookaspublishedhadleftoutdescriptions of geographyetc.,onthepremisethatfactsaboutthesearewellknownto Indian readers.

A Sudden Reluctance

Acuriousfacthitmeintheface. Manyofthepersonswhoonewould havenormallyexpectedtobeknowledgeable aboutsuchpublicationswere suddenly reluctant torecallthisbook.Iwastold,infact,thatcopiesofthe bookhadbeenremoved, forinstancefromtheAligarhMuslimUniversity Library.Some even suggested that adetermined effort had been made three or four years ago to get back each and every copy of this book.

Fortunately,thesuggestionturnedouttobeuntrue. Whilesomeofthe librariesonewouldnormally expect,tohavethebook-the JamiaMillia IslamiainDelhi;thefamouslibrariesinHyderabad-those oftheDairutual Maarifal-Osmania,oftheSalarJungMuseum,oftheNizamsTrust,ofthe Osmania University, the Kutubkhana-i-Saidiya -didnothaveit,others did. AmongthelatterweretheNadwaslibraryitself,thejustlyfamous Khuda Baksh Library in Patna, that of the Institute of Islamic Studies in Delhi.

Thefactthatthebookwasavailable inalltheselibrariescameasagreat reassurance. Ifeltthatifreactionariesandpropagandistshavebecomeso wellorganisedthattheycansecurethedisappearance fromeverylibraryof a booktheyhavecomenottolike,weareindeeptrouble. Clearly,they were not that resourceful.

Thefactthat,contrarytowhatIhadbeentold,thebookwasavailable alsotaughtmeanotherreassuring thing:factionalfightsamongMuslim fundamentalists areassharpandintenseasarethefactionalfightsamong fundamentalists ofotherhues. Forthesuggestion oftherebeingsomething sinisterintheinaccessibility ofthebookhadcometomefromresponsible Muslim quarters.

This valuable gift, this historical testament

The book is the publication number 66 of the Majlis Tehqiqat wa Nashriat Islam, the publication house of the Nadwatul-Ulama, Lucknow.

The Arabicversion was published in 1972 in Hyderabad,the Urdu version in1973inLucknow. AnEnglishversionwaspublished in1977.I will use the Urdu version as the illustration.

Maulana Abul-Hasan Ali Nadwi, that is Ali Mian himself, contributes the foreword.

It is an eloquent, almost lyrical foreword.

Islamhasimbueditsfollowerswiththequestfortruth,withpatriotism, hewrites. Theirnature,theirculturehasmadeMuslims thewriters oftrue history, he writes.

Muslims hadbuttoreachacountry,hewrites,anditsfortuneslitupand itawakenedfromtheslumberofhundredsandthousandsofyears. The countrytherebyascended fromdarknesstolight,hewrites,fromoblivion andobscuritytothepinnacleofnameandfame. Leavingitsparochial ambit,hewrites,itjoinedthefamilyofman,itjoinedthewideandvast creation ofGod. Andtheluminescence ofIslam,hewrites,transformed its hidden treasures into the light of eyes.

Itdidnotstickawaythewealthofthecountry, hewrites,andvomitit elsewhere as western powers did. On the contrary, it brought sophistication,culture,beneficientadministration, peace,tranquilitytothe country. Itraisedthecountry fromtheageofsavagery totheageof progress,hewrites, from infantilism toadulthood. Ittransformed itsbarren landsintoswayingfields,hewrites,itswildshrubsintofruit-laden treesof such munificence that the residents could not even have dreamt of them.

And so on.

Hethenrecallsthevastlearningandprodigious exertionsofMaulana Abdul Hai,his8-volumeworkon4500Muslimswhoservedthecauseof Islam in India, his directory of Islamic scholars.

Herecalls howaftercompletingthesebookstheMaulanaturnedto subjectswhichhadtillthenremainedobscure,howintheselaboursthe Maulanawasliketheproverbial beecollecting honeyfromvariedflowers. HerecountsthewiderangeoftheMaulanas scholarship. Herecountshow thelattercollectedraredata,howapersonlikehimaccomplished single- handed what entire academies are unable these days to do.

Herecounts thestructureofthepresentbook. Herecallshowitlay neglectedforlong,how,evenastheworkofre-transcribing amoth-eaten manuscript wasgoingon,acompletemanuscript wasdiscoveredin Azamgarh,howin1933thegraceofProvidencesaveditfromdestruction and obscurity.

Hewrites thatthebookbringsintoboldreliefthosehallmarks ofIslamic rulewhichhavebeenunjustlyanduntruthfully dealtwithbywesternand Indianhistorians, whichinfactmanyMuslimhistoriansandscholarsin universities andacademiestoohavetreatedwithneglectandlackof appreciation.

Recalling howMaulanaAbdulHaihadtostudythousandsofpagesona subject, Ali Mian writes that only he who has himself worked on the subject canappreciatetheeffortthathasgoneintothestudy. Youwillgetina single chapter of this book, he tells the reader, the essence which you cannot obtainbyreadingscoresofbooks. Thisistheresult,hewrites,ofthefact thattheauthorlaboured onlyforthepleasureofGod,fortheserviceof learning,andthefulfilment ofhisownsoul. Suchauthorsexpectedno rewards,noapplause,hetellsus. Workwastheirentiresatisfaction. That ishowtheywereabletoputinsuchherculean labours,tospendtheirentire life on one subject.

We are immensely pleased, he concludes, to present this valuable gift and historicaltestamenttoourcountrymen andhopethatAllahwillacceptthis act of service and scholars will also receive it with respect and approbation.

The Explanation

Suchbeingtheeminenceoftheauthor,suchbeingthegreatness ofthe work, why is it not the cynosure of the fundamentalists eyes?

TheanswerisinthechapterHindustankiMasjidein,TheMosquesof Hindustan.

Barely seventeen pages;thechapterissimplywritten. Afewfactsabout some of the principal mosques are described in a few lines each.

Thefactsarewell-known, theyareelementary,andsettingthemoutina few lineseachshould attract noattention. Andyet,asweshallsee,thereis furtiveness in regard to them. Why? Descriptions of seven mosques provide the answer.

Thedevoutconstructed somanymosques,MaulanaAbdulHairecords, they lavished suchhuge amounts andsuchlabours onthem that they cannot allbereckoned, thateverycity,town,hamletcametobeadornedbya mosque. Hesaysthathewilltherefore havetobecontentwithsettingout the facts of just a few of the well-known ones.

A few sentences from what he says about seven mosques will do:

Qawwat al-Islam Mosque

AccordingtomyfindingsthefirstmosqueofDelhiisQubbatall-Islam orQuwwatal-Islamwhich,itissaid,Qutbud-DinAibakconstructedinH. 587afterdemolishingthetemplebuiltbyPrithviRajandleavingcertain parts ofthetemple (outside themosqueproper); and whenhereturned from GhazniinH.592,hestartedbuilding, underordersfromShihabud-Din Ghori,ahugemosqueofinimitable redstones,andcertainpartsofthe templewereincluded inthemosque. Afterthat,whenShamsud-Din Altamishbecametheking,hebuilt,onbothsidesofit,edificesofwhite stones, and onone side ofit he started constructing that loftiest ofall towers which has no equal in the world for its beauty and strength

The Mosque at Jaunpur

This was built bySultan Ibrahim Sharqi with chiselled stones. Originally itwasaHindutempleafterdemolishing whichheconstructedthemosque. ItisknownastheAtalaMasjid. TheSultan usedtoofferhisFridayandId prayers in it, and QaziShihabud-Din gave lessons in it

The Mosque at Qanauj

This mosque stands on an elevated ground inside the Fort of Qanauj.It is well-known thatitwasbuiltonthefoundations ofsomeHindutemple(that stood)here. Itisabeautiful mosque. TheysaythatitwasbuiltbyIbrahim Sharqi in H. 809 as is (recorded) in Gharabat Nigar.

Jami (Masjid) at Etawah

Thismosque standsonthebankoftheJamuna atEtawah. Therewasa Hindu temple at this place, on the site of which this mosque was constructed. Itisalsopatterned afterthemosqueatQanauj. Probably itis one of the monuments of the Sharqi Sultans.

Babri Masjid at Ayodhya

This mosque wasconstructed byBabar at Ayodhya which Hinduscall the birth place ofRamchanderji.There isafamous storyabout his wife Sita.It issaidthatSitahadatemplehereinwhichshelivedandcookedfoodfor her husband. On that very site Babar constructed this mosque in H. 963

Mosques of Alamgir (Aurangzeb)

ItissaidthatthemosqueofBenares wasbuiltbyAlamgir onthesiteof theBisheshwarTemple. Thattemplewasverytalland(heldas)holy among theHindus. Onthisverysiteandwiththoseverystoneshe constructed aloftymosque,anditsancientstoneswererearrangedafter beingembedded inthewallsofthemosque. Itisoneoftherenowed mosquesofHindustan. Thesecondmosque atBenares (istheone)which wasbuiltbyAlamgir onthebankoftheGangawithchiselled stones. This also is a renowned mosque ofHindustan.Ithas28towers,each ofwhich is 238feet tall. This isonthe bank ofthe Ganga and its foundations extend to the depth of the waters.

Alamgir builtamosqueatMathura. Itissaidthatthismosquewasbuilt onthesiteoftheGobindDevTemplewhichwasverystrongandbeautiful as well as exquisite

It is said

ButtheMaulanaisnottestifyingtothefacts. Heismerelyreporting what was believed.He repeatedly says, It is said that

Thatseems tobeafigureofspeechwiththeMaulana. Whendescribing theconstruction oftheQuwwatulIslammosquebyQutubuddin Aibak,for instance, he uses the same It is said.

Ifthefactswereindoubt,wouldascholarofAliMiansdiligenceand commitment nothavecommentedontheminhisfull-bodiedforeward? Indeed, hewouldhavedecided against republishing themashedecidednot to republish much of the original book.

And if the scholars had felt that the passages could be that easily disposedof,whyshould anyefforthavebeenmadetotakeaworktothe excellence ofwhichascholarofAliMiansstaturehastestifiedinsucha fulsome manner, and do what has been done to this one? And what is that?

Eachreferencetoeachofthesemosqueshavingbeenconstructed onthe sitesoftempleswith,asinthecaseofthemosqueatBenaras, thestonesof theverytemplewhichwasdemolished forthatverypurposehavebeen censoredoutoftheEnglishversionofthebook!Eachoneofthepassages on each one of the seven mosques! No accident that.

Indeed thereisnotjustcensorshipbutsubstitution. IntheUrduvolume weare told inregard tothe mosque atQanauj forinstance that Thismosque standsonanelevatedgroundinsidethefortofQanauj. Itiswellknown thatitwasbuiltonthefoundation ofsomeHinduTemple(thatstood)here. IntheEnglish volumewearetoldinregardtothesamemosquethatIt occupiedacommanding site,believedtohavebeentheplaceearlier occupied by an old and decayed fort.

Ifthepassagescouldhavebeensoeasilyexplained awaybyreferring to the Itissaids,whywouldanyone have thought itnecessary toremovethese passagesfrom the English version-that is the version which wasmore likely to be read by persons other than the faithful? Why would anyone bowdlerise the book of a major scholar in this way?

Conclusions

Butthat,thoughobvious,weighslittlewithme. Thefactthattemples werebrokenandmosquesconstructedintheirplaceiswellknown. Noris thefactthatthematerialsofthetemples-the stonesandidols--were usedin constructingthemosque,news. Itwasthoughtthatthiswasthewayto announcehegemony. Itwasthoughtthatthiswasthewaytostrikeatthe heartoftheconquered-for inthosedaysthetemplewasnotjustaplaceof worship;itwasthehubofthecommunitys life,ofitslearning,ofitssocial life. Sothelinesinthebookwhichbearonthispracticeareofnoearth- shakingsignificance inthemselves. Theirrealsignificance-andIdaresay that they are but the smallest, most innocuous example that onecanthink of onthemosque-templebusiness-liesintheevasionandconcealmentthey have spurred. I have it on good authority that the passages have been known forlong,andwellknowntothosewhohavebeenstoking theBabriMasjid issue.[2]

Thatisthesignificantthing;theyhaveknownthem,andtheirimpulse has been to conceal and bury rather than to ascertain the truth.

Ihavelittledoubtthatarational solution canbefoundfortheBabri Masjid-RamJanmabhoomi tangle,asolutionwhichwillrespectthe sentiments, the essentials, of the religions of all.

But nosolutioncanbedevisediftheissueisgoingtobemadethe occasion forhshowofstrengthbyeitherside,ifitisgoingtobe converted into a symbol for establishing who shall prevail.

The fate of Maulana Abdul Hais passages-and I do, not know whether the Urduversionitselfwasnotaconveniently sanitisedversionoftheoriginal Arabicvolume-illustrates thecynicalmannerinwhichthosewhostokethe passions of religion to further their politics are going about the matter.

Those whoproceedbysuchcynicalcalculationssowhavocforallofus, for Muslims, for Hindus, for all.

Thosewhoremainsilentinthefaceofsuchcynicism, suchcalculations help them sow the havoc.

Willweshedourevasionsandconcealments?Willweatlastlearnto speakandfacethewholetruth?Toseehowcommunalism ofoneside justifiesandstokesthatoftheother? Toseethattheseleadersarenot interested in facts, not in religion, not in a building or a site, but in power, in theirpersonalpower,andinthatalone?Thatforthemreligionisbutan instrument, aninstrumentwhichissoattractivebecausethecostsof weilding it fall on others, on their followers, and not on them?

Will we never call a halt to them?

Indian Express, February 5, 1989

2. The Tip of An Iceberg

Sita Ram Goel

ThementionmadebyMaulanaAbdulHai(IndianExpress,February5) ofHindutemplesturnedintomosques,isonlythetipofaniceberg,The icebergitselfliessubmerged inthewritings ofmedieval Muslimhistorians, accountsofforeigntravellersandthereportsoftheArchaeological Survey ofIndia.Ahueandcryhasbeenraisedinthenameofsecularism and national integration whenever theiceberghaschancedtosurface,inspiteof hecticeffortstokeepitsuppressed. Marxistpoliticiansmasqueradingas historians have been the major contributors to this conspiracy of silence.

Muslim politicians andscholars inpresent-day Indiaresent anyreference whatsoevertothedestructionofHindutemplesinmedievaltimes. They reactasifitisacanardbeingspreadbythosetheystigmatise asHindu communalists. Therewas,however,atime,notsolongago,whentheir predecessors viewed the same performance as an act of piety and proclaimeditwithconsiderable prideininscriptionsandliterary compositions. Hindusofmedieval Indiahardlywroteanyhistoryofwhat happenedtotheirplacesofworshipatthehandsofIslamiciconoclasts. WhateverevidencetheHinducommunalists citeinthiscontextcomes entirely from Islamic sources, epigraphic and literary.

Epigraphic Evidence

There are many mosques all over India which are known to local tradition andtheArchaeologicalSurveyofIndiaasbuiltonthesiteofand, quite frequently, from thematerials of,demolished Hindutemples.Mostof themcarryinscriptions invokingAllahandtheProphet,quotingtheQuran andgiving details ofwhen,howandbywhomtheywereconstructed. The inscriptions havebeendecipheredandconnectedtotheirhistoricalcontext bylearned Muslimepigraphists. Theyhavebeenpublishedbythe, Archaeological Survey of India in its Epigraphia Indica-Arabic and Persian Supplement, an annual which appeared first in 1907-08 as Epigraphia Indo-Moslemica. Thefollowingfewinscriptionshavebeen selectedinordertoshowthat(1)destruction ofHindutemplescontinued throughout theperiodofMuslimdomination;(2)itcoveredallpartsof India-east, west, north and south; and (3) all Muslim dynasties, imperial and provincial, participated in the pious performance.

1.Quwwatal-IslamMasjid,QutbMinar, Delhi:Thisfortwas conqueredandtheJamiMasjidbuiltintheyear587bytheAmirtheslave oftheSultan,mayAllalhstrengthenhishelpers. Thematerialsof27idol temples, on each of which 2,000,000 Delhiwals had been spent were used in the (construction of)the mosque (1909-10,Pp3-4). The Amir was Qutbud- DinAibak,slaveofMuizzud-Din Muhammad Ghori.Theyear587H. correspondsto1192A.D.Delhiwalwasahigh-denominationcoincurrent at that time in Delhi.

2. Masjid atManviintheRaichurDistrictofKarnataka:Praise beto AllahthatbythedecreeoftheParvardigar,amosquehasbeenconverted outofatempleasasignofreligion inthereignoftheSultan whoisthe asylumofFaithFiruzShahBahmaniwhoisthecauseofexuberantspring inthegardenofreligion(1962,Pp.56-57). Theinscriptionmentionsthe year 1406-07 A.D. as the time of construction.

3.JamiMasjidatMalan,Palanpur Taluka,BanaskanthaDistrictof Gujarat:TheJamiMasjidwasbuiltbyKhan-I-AzamUlughKhan...who suppressedthewretchedinfidels. Heeradicatedtheidolatroushousesand mineofinfidelity,alongwiththeidolswiththeedgeofthesword,and madereadythisedifice Hemadeitswallsanddoorsoutoftheidols;the backofeverystonebecametheplaceforprostration ofthebeliever(1963, Pp. 26-29). The date ofconstruction is mentioned as1462A.D.in the reign of Mahmud Shah I (Begada) of Gujarat.

4.Hammam DarwazaMasjidatJaunpurinUttarPradesh:Thanks that bytheguidance oftheEverlasting andtheLiving (Allah), thishouseof infidelitybecamethenicheofprayer. Asarewardforthat,theGenerous Lordconstructedanabodeforthebuilderinparadise(1969,p.375). Its chronogram yieldstheyear1567A.D.inthereignofAkbar,theGreat Mughal. Alocalhistorian,Fasihud-Din,tellsusthatthetemplehadbeen built earlier by Diwan Lachhman Das, an official of the Mughal government.

5.JamiMasjidatGhodainthePoonaDistrictofMaharashtra:O Allah!0Muhammad!OAli! WhenMirMuhammadZamanmadeuphis mind,heopenedthedoorofprosperityonhimselfbyhisownhand. He demolished thirty-three idoltemples(and)bydivinegracelaidthe foundation ofabuildinginthisabodeofperdition(1933-34,p.24).The inscription isdated1586A.D.whenthePoonaregionwasruledbythe NizamShahi sultans of Ahmadnagar.

6.Gachinala MasjidatCumbumintheKurnoolDistrictofAndhra Pradesh:HeisAllah,mayhebeglorifiedDuringtheaugustrule of MuhammadShah,therewasawell-established idol-houseinKuhmum Muhammad Salihwhoprospersintherectitude oftheaffairsofFaithrazed totheground,theedificeoftheidol-house andbroketheidolsinamanly fashion. Heconstructedonitssiteasuitablemosque,toweringabovethe buildings of all (1959-60, Pp. 64-66). The date of construction is mentioned as 1729-30 A.D. in the reign of the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah.

Though sites ofdemolished Hindutemples were mostly usedforbuilding mosquesandidgahs,templematerials wereoftenusedinotherMuslim monumentsaswell. Archaeologists havediscoveredsuchmaterials, architectural aswellassculptural,inquiteafewforts,palaces,maqbaras, sufikhanqahs,madrasas,etc. InSrinagar,Kashmir,templematerialscan beseeninlongstretchesofthestoneembankmentsonbothsidesofthe Jhelum. Twoinscriptions onthewallsoftheGopiTalav,asteppedwellat Surat,tellusthatthewellwasconstructed byHaidarQuli,theMughal governorofGujarat,in1718A.D.inthereignofFarrukhSiyar. Oneof themsays,itsbricksweretakenfromanidoltemple. Theotherinforms us thatHaiderQuliKhan,duringwhoseperiodtyrannyhasbecomeextinct, laidwaste severalidoltemplesinordertomakethisstrongbuildingfirm (1933-34, Pp. 37-44).

Literary Evidence

Literary evidence of Islamic iconoclasm vis-a-vis Hindu places of worshipisfarmoreextensive. Itcoversalongerspanoftime,fromthe fifth decade ofthe7thcentury totheclosing years oftheeighteenth.Italso embraces a larger space, from Transoxiana in the north to Tamil Naduin the south,andfromAfghanistan inthewesttoAssamintheeast. Marxist historians andMuslimapologistswouldhaveusbelievethatmedieval Muslim annalistswereindulginginpoeticexaggerations inordertoplease theirpiouspatrons. Archaeological explorationsinmoderntimeshave, however, provided physicalproofsofliterarydescriptions. Thevastcradle ofHinducultureisliterally litteredwithruinsoftemples andmonasteries belonging toallsectsofSanatanaDharma-Buddhist,Jain,Saiva,Shakta, Vaishnava and the rest.

Almost all medieval Muslim historians credit their heroes with desecrationof Hindu idols and/or destruction of Hindu temples. The picture that emerges has the following components, depending upon whether theiconoclast wasinahurryonaccount ofHinduresistance ordid his work at leisure after a decisive victory:

1.Theidolsweremutilated orsmashedorburntormelteddownifthey were made of precious metals.

2.Sculpturesinreliefonwallsandpillarsweredisfiguredorscraped away or torn down.

3.Idolsofstoneandinferiormetals ortheirpieces weretakenaway, sometimes bycartloads,tobethrowndownbeforethemainmosquein(a) themetropolis oftherulingMuslimsultanand(b)theholycitiesofIslam, particularly Mecca, Medina and Baghdad.

4. Therewereinstancesof idols beingturnedinto lavatoryseats or handed over to butchers to be used as weights while selling meat.

5.Brahminpriestsandotherholymeninandaroundthetemplewere molested or murdered.

6. Sacred vessels and scriptures used in worship were defiled and scattered or burnt.

7.Temples weredamagedordespoiledordemolishedorburntdownor converted intomosqueswithsomestructuralalterationsorentiremosques were raised on the same sites mostly with temple materials.

8.CowswereslaughteredonthetemplesitessothatHinduscouldnot use them again.