Overview
The subject of the Muslim population in India and its history is rather a multifaceted one. It would be rather naive to deny the fact that many Muslim Indian people did convert from Hindu ones. But such is only a part of the history of Islam spreading in South Asia. Islamic influence came to India through trade and invaders or indirectly through peaceful propagandists for several centuries. These include socio-political, economic, and spiritual conversions, while there are skins of overlap as has been seen afore.
Islam's Arrival in India: Islam arrived in India in the 7th century with the first coming of Arabic merchants who settled on the Malabar Coast of Kerala. However, a large concentration of the Muslim population was not found till the appearance of different Muslim kingdoms like the Delhi Sultanate and the empire of the Mughals, who occupied the Indian subcontinent for ages. These dynasties attained Islamification by either force or by peaceful means in the form of preaching Sufi Islam along with schools and institutions.
Conversion Dynamics: Historically, it is on record that large sections of Hindus converted to Islam, although this was not always because they were forced to, or in political intrigue. Some reasons might have been social uplift, escaping caste oppression, and avail of political wrinkles and resources, amongst other things, which could have made many lower caste Hindus convert. Another great class of scholars who managed to baptize a considerable number of people were Sufi saints who were slow in their approach to society and greatly relied on spirituality.
Caste and Conversion: The fixed caste system was one of the deciding factors where people in some sections of India underwent conversion. Islam provided a more structured system for lower-caste Hindus, one which might have motivated others to convert of their own accord. On the other hand, a few upper cast Hindus, such as warriors and noblemen, converted to Islam to gain political alliances or to retain their position.
Conclusion
There are undoubtedly many devout and practicing Indian Muslims whose families have been converted by force or fraud from Hinduism, but it was in Kerala that Islam was first propagated by Arab traders, and in Karnataka, it was disseminated through military conquest. These conversions were many times due to the socio-political changes happening in medieval India and not due to force, violence, or religion. Muslims’ presence in India can be explained by the migration and conversion of people with different roots and histories of religious interactions.
