The Hindu temples built by Muslims in pre-colonial India

NEW DELHI: Demonising the Muslim rulers of old India has been the driving force of the country’s rightwing Hindu nationalist ideology, but history is witness to the immense contributions Muslims have made to protect and encourage Hinduism in the sub continent, foreign media reported.

As India battles the rise of Hindu nationalism, primarily led by Prime Minister Narenda Modi, the legacy of its Muslim rulers have also come under attack. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken to removing the names and contributions of Muslim kings from school textbooks, roads and landmarks.

A deeper look into pre-colonial India, however, reveals that Muslim rulers had in fact historically built several places of worship for Hindus.