02-01-2004, 03:08 AM
It should be noted that the Islamic depredations in India did cause major families. It is hard to decide whether direct slaughter of Hindus by Moslems or indirect destruction by way of famines was the central factor in the Hindu genocide. Often the two process wnet hand in hand. Major famines in north India appear to have been recorded at beginning of the most major Islamic offensive on India- that of Alla-ud-din Khalji. Till Alla Hindus still had a formidable military presence in North India, though Dilli and Lahore had fallen long ago. Shortly after Khalji began his terrible grinding of Peninsular India, major famines broke out all over the place. In middle India, many Indian towns, Bhilsa, Jhain, and in the south especially around Warangal there is considerable evidence that the human settlements and associated agriculture completely vanished in wake of the Khaji activity triggering of massive famines. This explains why these major Hindu centers never recovered again and Hindus were unable to take back these areas. Khalji also augumented the famines further by hoarding grain in Dilli and fixing prices throughout a large part of India.
The following Islamic reigns saw famines
Alla Khalji
Mohammed ibn Tuglaq
Firoz Tughlaq
Akbar early part.
Shah Jahan
Aurangzeb
These reigns also conducted major direct Hindu-killing operations. So it was a cyclic process 1) destroy major cities and depopulate Hindus (remove the market). 2) Ravage the countryside in course of long range invasions of peninsular India and use farms as fodder for horses and elephants (remember the that Khalji/Tughlaq armies were almost entirely cavalry with around 400-500,000 horsemen and about 700,000 horses living of the countryside. 3) Steal grain and horde it Moslem garrison depots. The net results were quite evident.
Still given India's great productivity there is an impression that things could be restored rather rapidly until the British began their depredation in manner that went beyond the Islamic brawn.
The following Islamic reigns saw famines
Alla Khalji
Mohammed ibn Tuglaq
Firoz Tughlaq
Akbar early part.
Shah Jahan
Aurangzeb
These reigns also conducted major direct Hindu-killing operations. So it was a cyclic process 1) destroy major cities and depopulate Hindus (remove the market). 2) Ravage the countryside in course of long range invasions of peninsular India and use farms as fodder for horses and elephants (remember the that Khalji/Tughlaq armies were almost entirely cavalry with around 400-500,000 horsemen and about 700,000 horses living of the countryside. 3) Steal grain and horde it Moslem garrison depots. The net results were quite evident.
Still given India's great productivity there is an impression that things could be restored rather rapidly until the British began their depredation in manner that went beyond the Islamic brawn.