258 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences Vol. 7, No. 2, 1990 

Book Review 

Conversion to Islam 
Untouchables' Strategy for Protest in India 

By Abdul Malik Mujahid. Chambersburg, PA: Anima Books, 1989 

Many Indians were taken by surprise, anger, and dismay by several 
thousand South Indian untouchables when they converted to Islam in 1981-82. 
Hindu chauvinists violently reacted and formed the Vishva Hindu Prishad 
which later occupied the famous mosque built by the first Mughul ruler of 
India, Babur. Since then many attempts have been made to analyze the causes 
of the mass conversion which still continues, although not in large numbers. 
Abdul Malik's book carefully examines the regional and local causes as well 
as the consequences of this mass conversion to Islam. Malik explains the 
elements of the complex social matrix in which the untouchables used 
conversion as a "conscious and articulate protest" against a cruel and unjust 
caste system. This unique study provides a thorough sociological perspective 
that deepens our understanding of more than 200 million untouchables of India. 

Malik explains, in the first chapter, the methodological and theoretical 
basis as well as the framework of his study. He raises relevant questions 



The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences Vol. 7, No. 2, 1990 259 

that have been answered in the latter part of the book, questions such as: 
W h y  did the untouchables resort to the extreme measure of conversion? Were 
the conversions isolated cases or were they part of a long-term strategy? Why 
was Islam as a religion chosen? Malik suggests that the main variables in 
the process of conversion were the untouchables’ “aggressive and assertive 
behavior.” While developing his own thesis, Malik camfidly examines similar 
studies by political sociologists such as Feierbend, Gum, Grimshaw, Niebuhr 
and others. He critically evaluates their work and draws meaningful similarities. 
Yet he establishes a more comprehensive frameuiork by redefining many terms 
such as violence and psychological violence in the context of the untouchables’ 
conversion to Islam. 

The second, third, and fourth chapters provide a detailed understanding 
of the caste system that is the core of Indian politics, the economic, social, 
political, and cultural milieu of the untouchables, the pervasiveness of 
untouchability in the Indian society, the nature of violence against the 
untouchables, and the helplessness of ’the untouchables in dealing with the 
political power that is embedded in the caste hierarchy of the social system 
in India. 

Chapters five, six, seven, and eight basically answer the question: W h y  
did the untouchables convert to Islam? These chapters provide a description 
of the %nil villages, the leadership structure of untouchables in these villages 
and the leaders’ perception of various government policies and actions towards 
untouchables, different ways of converting to Islam, a detailed study of W 
Muslims, their economic, social, educational, and political status, and the 
impact of the Tamil-based Dravidian movement, against the caste-oriented 
Brahministic society, on the social irwareness p m m s  ofuntouchables. Chapter 
eight looks into the factors that persuaded or motivated untouchables to choose 
Islam as their new way of life instead of Christianity or Buddhism. 

In chapter nine Malik focuses on the much tallred about ‘Arab Connection’’ 
and the impact of petmddlars on conversion. While acceptiog that possibilities 
existed, Malik rehtes the allegations based on his interviews and survey of 
the new converts. There are many interesting insights to this question that 
Malik brings forth. A new convert himself put itTbluntly, “Why don’t they 
purchase us back to Hinduism if we are on sale.” 

Chapter ten looks into the reactions, responses, and furor that the 
conversion generated in the Indian socio-political environment. In the last 
chapter Malik turns back to the theoretical discussion that he initiated in 
the first chapter. He examines the stren&hs and shortcomings of the main 
thesis of the historians and social scientists who have studied the spread of 
Islam in India. Although he was able to establish that all the theses (Coercion 
thesis, Reward thesis, and Social Mobility thesis) cannot properly explain 
the micnlevel events such as the p m s s  of conversion, Malik remains one 



260 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences Vol. 7, No. 2, 1990 

step short of clearly presenting his own thesis, which one could read between 
the lines, but which deserved to be treated separately. There are few instances 
where one could disagree with Malik’s observations or conclusions, such 
as his assertion that he “does not consider the conversions studied to be 
necessarily caused by a change of heart“ @. 8). Chapter ten, which deals 
with Hindu revivalism, could have been further expanded to seek the mts 
of Hindu chauvinism that have caused unrest, rebellion, and protests among 
not only the untouchables, but also on a substantially significant level among 
the Sikhs, Jharkhands of the Bihar, the Naxalites, the Assamese, and the 
Indian Muslims. 

There is no doubt that Abdul Malik Mujahid has produced a very timely 
study that deserves the attention of scholars who are intemted in understanding 
the sociqxditical matrix of the so-called largest democracy of the world. 
The book also contains three very useful appendices on 1) the studies of 
social stratification among Indian Muslims; 2) Ambedkar’s conversion as 
a mild protest; and 3) women in the conversion process. 

It would be fitting to conclude this review with the concludmg remarks, 
from the foreword, by Lloyd and Susane Rudolph: 

This searching book makes a major contribution to scholarship 
about religion and society. By carefully examining the local and 
regional causes and the national consequences of ex-untouchables’ 
conversion to Islam in south India, the author has deepened our 
understanding of the beliefs and actions associated with the pursuit 
of social justice and equality in India. 

Mohammad A. Siddiqi 
Dept. of Eng. & Journalism 
Western IL Univ. 
Macomb, IL