Indian Muslims: Who are they

Indian Muslims: Who are they is a book by K.S. Lal published in 1990.

The book studies the growth of the Muslim population during the time of Mahmud of Ghazni, during the Delhi Sultanate and during the Mughal Empire.

Conversion
The effect of conversions and the Muslim missionaries is discussed by Lal. It has been claimed that many converted to Islam in India because of the work of Sufis. However, K.S. Lal quotes Mohammad Habib and Prof. S.A.A. Rizvi who think that such claims are "latter-day fabrications". Lal says that "while it would not be safe to declare that hardly any conversions through peaceful methods were effected by the Sufi Mashaikh in India, it has also to be admitted that not many reliable references to their proselytizing activity are available in genuine hagiological works. ... the Mashaikh were probably responsible only for stray and individual conversions and their contribution to the growth of Muslim population may not have been much."

It has been claimed by some historians that many Hindus converted to Islam because of the Caste system. But Lal argues that "contemporary evidence does not speak of low caste as a factor contributing to conversions to Islam" But he adds that because "Muslim regime and society provided people with new avenues of employment" many people of low caste converted.