Islam is a proselytising religion. Throughout the Islamic history it has been applying various means to convert non-Muslims to Islam and Zijyah tax is one of them. The theory about Zijyah tax is if a country or a region is ruled by a Muslim it is an Islamic state. Non-Muslims of that state would be given the option to convert to Islam or seek protection and security by paying a tax, the so-called Zijyah tax.
The main objective of the Mughal Empire was to convert Hindus into Islam. Not only did it destroy Hindu temples, all educational institutions and as many Hindu scriptures as it could find it also used Zijyah tax as the primary instrument for religious conversion. The tax was deliberately levied at a level that a large number of Hindus with low income could not afford it. Those who could not pay the tax were subjected to the most inhuman cruelty and brutality and then sent behind bars for a long time. To escape from such a barbaric punishment they did not have any other alternative but to convert to Islam.
Dr Jatindra Saha
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