Islam in Mithilā: Early Encounters, Social Context and Initial Perceptions
Author : Dr. Ajeet Kumar
Abstract :
The advent of Islam in Mithilā was no sudden or isolated political occurrence, nor was it merely a confrontation between two sharply defined religious philosophies. It was, rather, a process that took place within a pre-defined social structure, which was marked by extreme degrees of hierarchy, inner contradictions, and cultural complexities. Prior to the advent of Islam, Mithilā was a society arranged along sharply defined lines of caste, which was further reinforced by Brahmanical ideology, thereby denying a large segment of society access to knowledge, ritual, and social mobility. The denial of access and the proliferation of various sectarian philosophies led to a sense of ambiguity and discontent. In this context, the advent of Islam was merely a process that was linked with pre-defined social contradictions, thereby accentuating some contradictions and developing newer possibilities. The meeting between Hindus and Muslims was, in the beginning, more a result of perceptions rather than theological debates. The sharply defined religious philosophies, rituals, and ways of living served to accentuate contradictions, which sometimes led to hostility. Thus this paper will focused on primarily on the preliminary exchanges between the two cultures that eventually resulted in new social patterns and spiritual practices such as pan-religious tendencies such as syncretism, local religious customs.
Keywords :
Mithilā, Brahmanical ideology, religious philosophies, social contradictions
