Over the last 1200 years, Islamic barbarians have destroyed thousands of Hindu mandirs in India. Many apologists try to whitewash this brutal destruction of the Hindu religious and cultural symbols. Luckily for us, the invaders and their scribes left behind plenty of contemporary records, enabling scholars to piece together the sordid history of their brutal exploits.
We have launched a series of short articles to daylight this terrible destruction of Hindu mandirs. Each article will contain excerpts from the writings of a well-known Islamic scholar. The entire series is based on an article by Stephen Knapp. (https://www.stephen-knapp.com/islamic_destruction_of_hindu_temples.htm)
Name of the Book: Babur-Nama – Autobiography by Zahiru’d-Din Muhammed Babur
This author was the founder of the Moghul dynasty in India who proclaimed himself a Padshah (Ruler) after his victory in the First Battle of Panipat (1526CE), and a Ghazi (killer of kafirs) after the defeat of Rana Sanga in the Battle of Khanwa (1528 CE). While presenting himself as an indefatigable warrior and drug addict, he does not hide the cruelties he committed on the defeated people, particularly his fondness for building towers of the heads of those he captured as prisoners of war or killed in battle. He is very liberal in citing appropriate verses from the Quran on the eve of the battle with Rana Sanga. In order to ensure his victory, he makes a covenant with Allah by breaking the vessels containing wine as also the cups for drinking it, swearing at the same time that “he would break the idols of the idol-worshippers in a similar manner.” In the Fateh-Nama (prayer for victory) composed for him by Shaykh Zain, Allah is described as “the destroyer of idols from their foundations” The language he uses for his Hindu adversaries is typically Islamic.
- Chanderi (Madhya Pradesh): “In AH 934 (AD 1528), I attacked Chanderi and, by the grace of Allah, captured it in a few hours. We got the infidels slaughtered, and the place which had been a daru’l-harb for years was made into daru’l-Islam. “
- Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): “Next day, at the time of the noon prayer, we went out for seeing those places in Gwalior which we had not seen yet. Going out of the Hathipole Gate of the fort, we arrived at a place called Urwa. Urwa is not a bad place. It is an enclosed space. Its biggest blemish is its statues. I ordered that they should be destroyed.”
- Quwwat al-Islam Masjid, Delhi: “This fort was conquered, and the Jami Masjid built in the year 587 by the Amir, the great, the glorious commander of the Army, Qutub’ud Din, the Amir-ul-umara Aibeg, the slave of the Sultan, may Allah strengthen his helpers. The materials of 27 idol temples, on each of which 2,000,000 Delhiwals (a high denominational coin at the time in Delhi) had been spent
- Mansuri Masjid, Vijapur (Gujrat): “The Blessed and Exalted Allah says, ‘And verily, mosques are for Allah only; hence invoke not anyone else with Allah.’ This edifice was originally built by the infidels. After the advent of Islam, it was converted into a mosque. The sermon was delivered here for sixty-seven years. Due to the sedition of the infidels, it was again destroyed. When during the reign of the Sultan of the time, Ahmad, the affairs of each Iqta attained magnificence, Bahadur, the Sarkhail, once again carried out repairs. Through the generosity of Divine munificence, it became like new.”
- Masjid at Manvi, Karnataka: “Praise be to Allah that by the decree of the Parvardigar, a mosque has been converted out of a temple as a sign of religion in the reign of the world-conquering emperor, the Sultan, who is the asylum of the Faith and the possessor of the crown, who’s kingdom is young, viz. Firuz Shah Bahmani, who is the cause of the Exuberant spring in the garden of religion, Adu’l-Fath, the king who conquered. After the victory of the emperor, the chief of chiefs, Safdar (the valiant commander) of the age, received the fort. The builder of this noble place of prayer is Muhammad Zahir Aqchi, the pivot of the Faith. He constructed in the year 809 from the Migration of the Chosen (Prophet Muhammad) this Ka’ba like a memento.”
- Mausoleum of Shaykh ‘Abdullah Shah Changal, Dhar in Madhya Pradesh: “The center became Muhammadan first by him (Abdulla Shah Changal) (and) all the banners of religion were spread… This lion-man came from the center of religion to this old temple with a large force. He broke the images of the false deities and turned the idol temple into a mosque. When Rai Bhoj saw this, through wisdom, he embraced Islam with the family of his brave warriors. This quarter became illuminated by the light of the Muhammadan law, and the customs of the infidels became obsolete and abolished.”
[Editor’s note: In this case, the Hindu King was Bhoj II, and during his reign Jalalu’d-Din Khalji (1290-1296 CE) of Delhi invaded Malwa. Changal was the Muslim missionary who accompanied Khalji’s army. This army, after plundering and looting the kingdom of Bhoj II, converted a Hindu temple into a mosque and forced the ruler and his subjects to accept Islam. - Jami’ Masjid, Malan (Gujrat): “(The Prophet), on him be peace, says ‘He who builds a mosque in the world, the Exalted Allah builds for him a palace in Paradise.’ In the auspicious time of the government and peaceful time of Mahmud Shah, son of Muhammad Shah, the sultan, the Jami’, the mosque was constructed on the hill of the fort of Malun (or Malwan) by Khan-i-Azam Ulugh Khan…at the request of the thanedar Kabir, (son of Diya), the building was constructed by the son of Ulugh Khan who is magnanimous, just, generous, brave and who suppressed the wretched infidels. He eradicated the idol houses and mine of infidelity, along with the idols… with the edge of his sword, and made ready this edifice… He made its walls and doors out of the idols; the back of every stone became the place for prostration of the believer…”
- Jami’ Masjid, Amod (Gujrat): “Allah and His grace. When divine favor was bestowed on Khalil Shah, he constructed the Jami’ Masjid for the decoration of Islam; he ruined the idol house and temple of the polytheists, (and) completed the Masjid and pulpit in its place. Without doubt, his building was accepted by Allah.”
- Shrine of Shah Madar, Narwar (Madhya Pradesh): “Dilawar Khan, the chief among the king’s viceroys, caused this mosque to be built, which is like a place of shelter for the favorites. Infidelity has been subdued, and Islam has triumphed because of him. The idols have bowed to him and the temples have been razed to the ground along with their foundations, and mosques and worship houses are flowing with riches.”
- Hamman Darwaza Masjid, Jaunpur (Uttar Pradesh): “Thanks to the guidance of Everlasting and the Living Allah, this house of infidelity became the niche of prayer. As a reward for that, the Generous Lord constructed an abode for the builder in paradise…”
- Jami Masjid, Ghoda (Maharashtra): “O Allah, O Muhammed, O Ali! When Mir Muhammed Zaman made up his mind, he opened the door of prosperity on himself by his own hand. He demolished thirty-three idol temples and by divine grace laid the foundation of a building in the abode of perdition.”
- Gachinala Masjid, Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh): “He is Allah, may be glorified. During the august rule of…Muhammed Shah, there was a well-established idol house in Kuhmum…Muhammed Salih…razed to the ground the edifice of the idol house and broke the idols in a manly fashion. He constructed on its site a suitable mosque, towering above the building of all.”
