The Islamic Era.

ISLAM; INDIANS (Asians); RELIGIONS; MUSLIMS; HISTORY of India; RELIGION

This chapter features the history of Islam in India. At about the time King Harsha was consolidating his control in northern India, a religious and political struggle was beginning on the Arabian Peninsula. Out of that struggle emerged a faith, Islam, which would spawn powerful political empires and have a major influence on the course of Indian history. The remarkable expansion of Islam in such a relatively short period can be explained by several factors. First, Muslim armies were fierce, well organized, and highly motivated. Second, for many people the tenets of Islam held considerable appeal. A Muslim in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, bows toward Mecca in prayer. He is among the more than 135 million Indians who follow the Islamic faith.