The image of Muslim rulers as ruthless tyrants sweeping through India demolishing temples is common today. But it bears no resemblance to reality.
It is commonly claimed that Muslims demolished tens of thousands of temples in India. Richard Eaton, a distinguished historian, has found evidence of 80 temples that were destroyed by Muslims. There were probably more than that, but the number could not have been in the thousands. The historical record completely disproves that idea.
Why were these temples destroyed?
Hindu rulers commonly destroyed temples, in the same way that Muslims did. This was because temples were not destroyed out of religious bigotry. Rulers of all religions attacked temples that served a political purpose.
This was the horrible business of war in medieval India. It was common, when conquering a region, to destroy, damage or loot a temple with political significance. This was about power, not religion. Muslim rulers were just following a pre-existing Indian tradition of conquest.
Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore in the late eighteenth century, is a good example of this. In battle he was ferocious, and he destroyed enemy temples. But in his own territories he patronised temples and protected them. This was because his temple destruction was not motivated by anti-Hindu bigotry.
This is all historical fact, not opinion. Temple destruction was a terrible fact of life in pre-modern India, but it was not as common as many today think, and it was not seen by people at the time through the lens of a religious war between Hindus and Muslims.
William Dalrymple, The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company (2019)
Richard Eaton, India in the Persianate Age: 1000-1765 (2019)
