Review Essay: Images of India’s Muslims

Over the past decade, India has witnessed growing violence against minorities. There is widespread belief that minorities are troublemakers and that they are the ones discriminating against the majority. The ideological movements led by socialists, feminists and Ambedkarites are getting undermined by spreading rumours against them. It is in this context that the book Images of India’s Muslims (2008) by India’s foremost historian Mushirul Hasan is particularly relevant. I argue that the book historicises the present hatred of India’s Muslims. The book covers a century and a half of undivided India. It examines prejudices prevalent not only among the ordinary people but also among those in positions of power and influence. This review essay tries to convey some of the core arguments of the book in light of present circumstances and recent scholarly interventions.