Hindus and Muslims in Medieval North India: Stages of Reciprocal Perception

Abstract

Migrating to India and becoming a part of its population, the Muslims passed through different stages in their perception by Hindus. The article discusses these stages of this process–from alienation to familiarity, from generalisation to individualisation–as reflected in some literary texts of medieval epoch. A significant contributor to this development was the growth of Muslim population due not to migration only, but, more significantly, to the conversion of local people who, accepting the new religion, remained familiar with many aspects of regional culture and lifestyle. The other side of the process, the Muslim view of Hindus, is also studied, to demonstrate that, despite observable differences, the followers of both religions took the same direction that led to the recognition of the ‘other’ as a natural part of a socially and culturally heterogeneous entity