Restoration of a mosque by a Hindu king

It is interesting to note that most kings and rulers of the past considered it their duty to protect the religious monuments and the people of all communities. The Dharma Shastras, the ancient law books, stated that it was the duty of the king to protect his subjects. Thus the Manu Smriti says: ‘The lord created the king for the protection of all.’ (Manu Smriti, 7.3).
One such incident is revealed in the work of the medieval (twelfth-thirteenth century) historian Muhammad Awfi. According to him , when he went to stay in Khambayat (modern Khambat) located on the sea-coast in Gujarat, he lived with a community of Muslims, among whom were a large number of foreigners, mainly traders and merchants, from different lands. Awfi records that this Muslim community lived in perfect harmony with their non-Muslim neighbours, but they told him about some trouble they had had in the past.
Khambayat was part of a kingdom with its capital at Nahrwala (also known as Anhilwara, modern Patan). Muslims, Hindus and Zoroastrians lived in Khambayat. In the time of Raja Jai Singh (probably the powerful twelfth century Chalukya ruler Jayasimha) the Muslims constructed a new mosque in the region. Awfi states that some Zoroastrians instigated the Hindus in the region to attack the mosque. Local Hindus then set fire to the mosque, and killed 80 Muslims in the vicinity. Ali, the khatib of the mosque, went to Nahrwala to complain to the Rai (Raja Jai Singh), but the Rai’s courtiers did not give him access to the ruler. The khatib then sat under a tree along the route the rai was to take for a hunting expedition. As the rai approached on his royal elephant, the khatib manged to reach him, and begged the Rai to listen to his story. The khatib had composed his story in Hindvi verse, and narrated all that had happened to the Rai.
The Rai listened carefully. He forgot about his hunting expedition. He first asked one of his courtiers to take care of the needs of the khatib, until he summoned the latter to court. Then returning to the court, he left everything in the hands of his vazir, and told him he would be away for some time. The daily darbar too, was suspended.
The rai selected a camel, and set off for Khambayat. In one night and day, he managed to cover 40 farsangs (80 miles) and reached his destination. There, disguised as a merchant, he entered the city in the evening. Moving through the markets, in the course of conversation, he enquired about the Muslims and the mosque, and came to know that the khatib’s story was true. Then the Rai filled a vessel with sea-water and returned to his capital. The next day the darbar was held, and the khatib was called to narrate his story. A group of non-Muslims began to dispute the story. Then the rai asked for the vessel of water to be brought, and asked the people there to taste it. As they did so, they realised from its brackish nature that it was sea-water, and that the Rai himself must have gor it from Khambayat. Then the Rai said: ‘ Since the dispute took place between people who belonged to different religions, I could not trust any person for investigations, and therefore I myself enquired into the case. The Muslims have been subjected to tyranny and killed mercilessly. How could people who reside in my country and have been granted full security, be oppressed.’ He then ordered that the leaders of the castes involved in the demolition and killing be punished, and that a hundred thousand balutras (type of coin) be paid for restoration of the mosque.
This is not a unique case. There are other instances of Hindu kings protecting their Muslim subjects, and of Muslim kings protecting non-Muslim subjects and their religious monuments. For instance, during the time of the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II, Sikhs were allowed to build shrines at historic sites in Delhi, and granted Rs. 300,000 for this purpose, even though construction at one of the sites involved the demolition of a mosque that had been built there. At the time of Partition, the nawab of Bahawalpur made attempts to protect his Hindu subjects, though owing to the general frenzy, he could not quite succeed.
[Awfi’s account is based on the translation of I.H. Siddiqui].
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