Muslim came in India as conquerors and established their rule in the sub-Continent. This period stretched on almost 1000 years. Muslim Sufis and theologians worked hard to convert the people to Islam, which means the right path. Their teachings were based upon oneness of God, following Prophets and abiding by the Quranic injunctions and cardinal principles of Islam. The hallmark of the Sufis’ teachings was the liberal attitude and cosmopolitan culture presented to the natives of India. Muslims had always been in a minority but they maintained their capacity to rule this vast land. Though Muslims were invaders in this land but they settled in India and mixed up in the native community. By mixing of the dogmas, culture, ideas and ethnicity there emerged a culture, which was homogeneous and embracing to all the communities. Muslims never separated themselves from the land and they made India their home. Their rule was based upon the following three principles
- Military strength
- Justice
- Intellectual superiority
But as the history shows that it is like a cycle and every empire have to fact its downfall and Muslims were no exception. Aurang Zeb was the last Mughal emperor who kept the means of power in his hands and when he died the chaos interrupted his empire and a war of succession among his descendants proved disastrous of the Mughal glory. Invasion of Ahmed Shah Abdali, during the reign of Muhammad Shah, proved fatal for crumbling Mughal Empire. Thus, anarchy prevailed all over India, many governors and Subedars declared themselves sovereign, the Marathas and Sikhs rose their heads and became the key players of India. And the Mughal Empire began to shrink and when Bahadar Shah, the last Mughal Empire, ascended to throne, he was merely a titular head. He was a pensioner of East India Company. The war of independence resulted in formal end of Muslim Empire and the East India Company took the reign of the subcontinent.