Abstract:
This analysis of the religious thought of the Indian subcontinent focuses upon the nature
of earliest contacts between Islam and Hinduism and also discusses the early Hindu
response and resistance to Islam and Muslims. These early contacts resulted in
development of some theological and social issues within Hinduism; like the theological
interpretation of destruction of age old deities and temples and defeat of Hindu rulers by
the Muslim armies, issue of social interaction with the Muslims was a taboo for the
Hindu society, likewise the development of monotheistic tendencies in the religious
thought of Hindus. The Muslim theologians, intellectuals and Sufis interpreted,
categorized and comprehended the religious beliefs and practices of Hindus in different
ways. These interactions developed in much divergent ways over the centuries and there
emerged a variety of ideological, theological, doctrinal and mystical tendencies as a result
of these interactions. For an analysis of the nature of these tendencies the issue of
religious freedom and conversion activity is discussed in detail.
The religious thought of sixteenth century Indian Subcontinent presents an array of
different sects and movements that developed as a result of Hindu-Muslim interactions.
Some of the sects and movements that emerged as a result of convergence of Hindu-
Muslim thought during the sixteenth century were attempts at synthesis between both
Islamic and Hindu beliefs and practices while majority of these sects and movements
were syncretistic. Synthesis and syncretism are used as two analytical categories;
synthesis is an attempt at putting together of common elements while syncretism is an
attempt to combine ideas that are disparate and may even be contrary to one another such
as the notions of polytheism and monotheism.
