Al-Bīrūnī, Sultan MahmūD Al-Ghaznawī and Islamic universalism: The historical context

By referring to certain politico-economic factors as a means to justify his work, this paper argues that al-Bīrūnī 's framing of his Tahqīq mā li al-Hind (AlBeruni's India) was a religious interpretation of the events surrounding Sultan Mahmūd al-Ghaznawī's Somanāth campaign and does not bear in mind the broader canvas of Muslim-Hindu relations. This is argued by the fact that al- Bīrūnī's the only sustained reference to Sultan Mahmūd is the Tahqīq in reference to his decisions pertaining to the destruction, looting, and subsequent humiliation of the Somanāth linga. Al-Bīrūnī's claim of Mahmūd's destruction of Hindu economic prosperity, Ms heavy handed treatment of Hindus, and the profound Hindu hatred of Muslims all seem to be consequences resulting from the events that transpired on the Somanāth campaign, as opposed to a more general appreciation of Muslim-Hindu relations. Moreover, the paper argues that al-Bīrūnī's interpretation of these events in this manner must be understood in reference to the intended purpose of the Tahqīq, namely a treatise aimed at promoting meaningful and sophisticated Muslim-Hindu engagement based on a tacit acknowledgement and subtle propagation of Islam's universalistic assumptions. This interpretation of al-Bīrūnī explains why he chose to ignore the many existing platforms upon which Muslims and Hindus appeared to have developed working relationships. This paper brings to light various Muslim-Hindu relationships to ensure al- Bīrūnī is not misunderstood and that his framing of Mahmūd should not be generalised to all forms of Muslim-Hindu engagement. Rather, al-Bīrūnī was concerned with the meaningful advancement of Muslim-Hindu relations for which he chose to focus on representing Islam as a somewhat open religious and intellectual framework to appropriate various aspects of Hindu learning. It is in this manner that the universalism of Islam is emphasised.