Economic Shocks and Religious Conflict in Medieval India

Economic downturns often spur religious or ethnic conflict. Using centuries of georeferenced data, we provide arguably the first empirical evidence of this phenomenon in medieval India. During major weather fluctuations, a Muslim state is 0.5 percentage points more likely to destroy a Hindu temple under its rule compared to one outside its control, whereas there is no difference in normal periods. Analyses of looting, warfare, and governance channels suggest that rulers desecrated temples primarily to quell rebellions and protect regime stability after climate-driven economic stress.