The Islamic System of Nazar as a Source of Corruption

The Nazar system was a defining feature of Islamic regimes in India. In practice, it normalised political and official corruption at all levels beginning with the monarch himself, and was responsible

IN COMMON PARLANCE, the term Nazar generally means “eye,” “sight,” “to set one’s eye upon,” and so on. It also has prolonged cultural and social connotations connected mostly with superstitious elements such the proverbial “evil eye.” In Islam, especially, it has theological significance rooted in various phobias, and there are elaborate rituals on “rem…