Crypto-Hinduism

Crypto-Hinduism is the secret adherence to Hinduism while publicly professing to be of another faith; practitioners are referred to as "crypto-Hindus" (origin from Greek kryptos - κρυπτός, 'hidden'). Crypto-Hinduism was observed during a period of forced religious conversions in South Asia, as well as suspected against Hindus who voluntarily converted to the religion of the invaders or colonizers. Many crypto-Hindus were arrested for practicing Hinduism after professing to have converted to Christianity, some sentenced to death for being a crypto-Hindu such as in colonial Portuguese Goa.[1][2]

Islamic sultanates

Some Hindus who joined official positions in Delhi Sultanate were accused of following Hinduism in secret. For example, states Bardwell Smith, Khusru Khan, a convert from Hinduism to Islam and an army commander who led plunder raids against Deccan kingdoms, was towards the end of his life "accused by Turkish nobles of harboring crypto-Hindu tendencies, a false charge but one which reflected genuine factional divisions and prejudices within the Muslim ruling class".[3] According to Aziz Ahmad, Arabic Islamic scholars have considered the form of Islam followed in Bengal (Bangladesh, West Bengal) to have elements of crypto-Hinduism and have attempted to reform it to more strict adherence to the version found in the Arabian peninsula.[4]

Goa Inquisition

Crypto-Hinduism was a criminal offence in early Portuguese Goa. People were accused, arrested and tried for being crypto-Hindus.[5] Dozens were executed by the Catholic Christian Portuguese government in Goa.[1] Hindus were predominantly targeted, though some of those arrested included Indian followers of Buddhism, Judaism and Islam.[1][2][6]

According to Hannah Chapelle Wojciehowski, the Goa inquisition terrorized its formerly-Hindu, new Christian population. Over 16,000 cases were tried over a 200-year period from 1560 when the Portuguese established their rule.[7] When crypto-Hinduism trials were banned in 1812, the Portuguese destroyed the individual case files. Nearly 70% of those found guilty of Crypto Hinduism were executed.[7] In some cases where the accused had already died before the sentence was pronounced, the Goan Christian government held mock-execution where an effigy of the convicted person was publicly burnt.[7][8]

Pakistan

During the partition of India, many Punjabi Hindus and Mazhabi Sikhs converted to Christianity in order to escape anti-Hindu and Sikh violence. These communities still maintain many of their original religious beliefs and practices despite the change in religion.[9]

Despite partition, religious syncretism remains present in the country, with some Muslim devotees continuing to visit shrines dedicated to Hindu and Sikh saints.[10]

According to a Zee News report, the practice of Hindus hiding their religion by having an Islamic name to be used in public and a Hindu name to be used privately is practiced in Islamabad.[11]

During his stay in Pakistan, Ajit Doval recollected his encounter with a Hindu who was publicly living the life of a maulvi.[12][13]

Espionage

References

  1. 1 2 3 António José Saraiva (2001). The Marrano Factory: The Portuguese Inquisition and Its New Christians 1536-1765. BRILL Academic. pp. 346–347, 353. ISBN 90-04-12080-7.
  2. 1 2 Charles H. Parker; Gretchen Starr-LeBeau (2017). Judging Faith, Punishing Sin. Cambridge University Press. pp. 292–293. ISBN 978-1-107-14024-0.
  3. ↑ Bardwell L. Smith (1978). Religion and the Legitimation of Power in South Asia. BRILL Academic. pp. 19–20. ISBN 90-04-05674-2.
  4. ↑ Aziz Ahmad (1999). Studies in Islamic Culture in the Indian Environment. Oxford University Press. pp. 84–85. ISBN 978-0-19-564464-7.
  5. ↑ Group Identity in the Renaissance World p.216, Hannah Chapelle Wojciehowski ISBN 9781107003606
  6. ↑ Gustav Henningsen; Marisa Rey-Henningsen (1979). Inquisition and Interdisciplinary History. Dansk folkemindesamling. p. 125.
  7. 1 2 3 Hannah Chapelle Wojciehowski (2011). Group Identity in the Renaissance World. Cambridge University Press. pp. 215–216 with footnotes 98–100. ISBN 978-1-107-00360-6.
  8. ↑ B. Malieckal (2015). Ruth IllmanL and Bjorn Dahla, ed. Early modern Goa: Indian trade, transcultural medicine, and the Inquisition. Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis, Finland. pp. 149–151, context: 135-157. ISBN 978-952-12-3192-6.
  9. ↑ https://scroll.in/article/816573/to-escape-partition-violence-in-lahore-these-hindus-and-sikhs-converted-to-christianity
  10. ↑ https://scroll.in/article/816573/to-escape-partition-violence-in-lahore-these-hindus-and-sikhs-converted-to-christianity
  11. ↑ http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/pakistani-hindus-to-miss-holi-celebrations_606456.html
  12. ↑ https://www.rvcj.com/heres-happened-ajit-doval-lived-muslim-pakistan-someone-identified/
  13. ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=2IjWF-8lTu8
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