India

__** India and the Muslim Empire **__ Islam started to spread to India because of merchants going to India. India had come into contact with the Muslims in 711 when Muhammad ibn Qasim had led around 10,000 warriors, and camels and conquered Sind, parts of the Umayyad Empire. Goods that were being exported to China were going on boats that belongs to the Indians or the Arabs. The spread of Islam increased due to the fact that the coastal trade of India was under the control of Muslims. It was easier for people to convert only after the 13th century due to the fact that Shrivijaya had collapsed, since the officials were Buddhist. India would be a great place for Islam to spread because in India there was already a diversity of people that either believed in Hinduism, Buddhism, both or even none at all as there was no uniform religion under the rule of the government. The Shahi mosque that is built portrays that Muslims were able to adapt the ways of India and were able to co-exist not forcing Indians to convert which gave could give them the idea that Islam. Islam was being widely accepted in India, most of the people that converted to Islam were coming from people with lower class and Buddhists, people began to convert due to the leniency that Muslims had towards other people with the same religion therefore no tax was placed for them however it was not the same for others. What made some Buddhists convert to Islam was that the teachings of Buddhism were not the same as it was before it was becoming corrupting and it conflicted with people's morale. However that was not always the case especially Hindu's they found it difficult to convert to Islam therefore new cults were being focused on.