Wednesday, January 10, 2018

The Qizilbash custom amongst the Babur's troops (Makhan Lal Roy Choudhury, 1952)

The Qizilbash custom amongst the Babur's troops




There are decisions against the use of silk and gold no doubt. But the Prophet himself once wore silk which came from the Roman Empire. It was a military necessity at the time of Khalifah Umar that soldiers were asked to give up silk owing to the very nature of the stuff it contained, for, at that time they were generally at war. The followers were denied the ordinary luxuries of body and in the time of Umar the people were debarred from using silk. But as soon as the Muslims had strongly entrenched themselves in their position, Khalifas like Mu’awiya, Rashid and others began to enjoy luxuries of body and used to wear silk. Sher Shah presented to Shaikh Byram a fine piece of Bengal silk.
The Sadr of Akbar’s court used to wear silk and permitted the use of silk where it was produced in large quantities. Islamic people changed their dress almost in every country they domiciled themselves in. Babar himself introduced the Kazal-bash (red cap), a Persian custom, amongst his troops. The use of a chapkan down to the ankle is not an Arabian custom but was introduced from Persia long after Muhammad’s death. There are, of course, occasional commandments falling within M’ashrati (social) group and lapse is no defection from Faith.



Makhan Lal Roy Choudhury, The Din-i-Ilahi, or the Religion of Akbar. — Calcutta: Das Gupta & Co. Ltd., 1952. P. 160.

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