In the history of Muslim ruled India, only Akbar showed religious tolerance (and stopped ‘zizya’ on non-Muslims). Rest all actively participated or supported in forceful conversions. Moreover, the burden of being ‘Dhimmi’ under Muslim rule also compelled many to convert to Islam. The role of ‘Sufi’ saints was also not free from forceful conversion. Most of them came to India with their followers as “Jihadis’.
On the other side, since the days of Mohammad bin Qasim, Western and Northern parts of Indian sub-continent had been repeatedly plundered by Muslim invaders. After each win in the battle or successful raid, the fate of non-Muslims was predetermined as per Islamic norm: slaughtering as many people as possible, converting as many men as possible (women were of no consequence) at the point of sword, keeping thousands of women of child bearing age as wife, concubines and sex slaves; and taking thousands of children, men and women as slaves to slave markets. One of the major forced mass conversions to Islam in Northern & Western parts of the sub-continent occurred during the seventeen destructive raids of Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznavi under the banner of Islam between AD 1001 and 1034.
Conveniently today’s every Muslim of these areas traces his lineage to pure Arab, Iran, Turk or Mongol stock. They have forgotten King Dahir (brahmin) of Sindh and the plunders made in his kingdom by Mohammad bin Qasim’s army in the name of Islam. This saves present day’s Muslim of the area from remembering the humiliating conversion of his forefather or sexual exploitation his foremother. Most of the present day Muslims of Pakistan, Kashmir (and even Afghanistan) are the decedents of converts under duress or product of non-Muslim women who were forcefully made wives, concubines or sex-slaves by the invading or ruling Muslims. These non-Muslim women were used as Muslim production tools.
It is propagated that Mohammad bin Qasim brought light, anti-slavery and justice to Sind (Pakistan) which was under the grip of ‘Jahiliya’ before. Yes, indiscriminate slaughter, plunder, destruction of Hindu population, their properties and temples was the real ‘light’ of Islam. The ten of thousands of Hindus taken as slaves was ‘anti-slavery’ action of Islam. And, imposing ‘Dhimmitude’ on Kafirs who resisted forceful conversion was ‘justice’ of Islam.
It was thus never the ‘peace’ and ‘justice’ of Islam which attracted the non-Muslims of those areas to convert. The history of fighting between the army of Mohammad bin Qasim and Hindus of Multan (Pakistan) is one of many such examples. The genesis of the name of ‘Hindukush’ mountain range is another.
Before feeling proud of being the defenders of Islam, the Muslims of these areas should look back to their own shameful history, though denial has become convenient, as well as, rule. This rule regularly makes them violent against existing very few non-Muslims of the areas who are real heroes through centuries. So long even single non-Muslim remains there, he will constantly remind the Muslims of those areas about their humiliating past.