THE INDO – ISLAMIC CULTURE
The sultanate and Mughal periods witnessed the closed contact of two different and distinct cultures – the Hindu and the Muslim or Islamic. Hence the Hindu and the Muslim cultural ingredients coalesced to form a new cultural life.
During the three hundred years of the rule of the sultans of Delhi, the interaction between the Hindu and Islamic cultures was mostly confined to the prosperous cities and well – to – do upper classes but the Mughal period witnessed a remarkable Hindu – Muslim synthesis. The mutual intercourse between the two communities influenced the culture of both.
Inspite of the fundamental differences between Hindus and Muslimism there began to flow a congenial current of mutual harmony, cooperation and toleration in different spheres of life in course of time. They willingly offered themselves for mutual exchange of ideas. If the Hindu religious leaders and saints endeavored to synthesize Hindu – Muslim thoughts, the Sufi sect of the Muslims, their writers and poets adopted Hindu doctrines and followed many of their traditions, Famous Muslim Scholars and saints began to lab our for the dissemination of the ideas of Islamic philosophy and mysticism in India, and it has been proved that one of the sources of Muslim Mysticism was Indian. The healthy spirit of Mutual toleration found expression in the growing veneration of the Hindus for the Muslim saints, particularly of the mystic school, and a corresponding Muslim practiced of venerating Hindu saints which ultimately led to the common worship of Satrapy (the true saint). The Hindus offered sweets with great pleasure on the tombs of Muslim pars and saints and listened with reverence to the recitations of the Quaran.
