In the 11th Century C.E, when the Muslim marauders first set foot on their karma bhoomi, the Hindus, as noted by Al-Biruni, were wont to proclaim that there is no country but theirs, no nation like theirs, no kings like theirs, no religion like theirs, and no science like theirs . However, eight-hundred years of Islamic consolidation in their land followed by nearly two-hundred years of Christian colonization of it that eventually led to its partition saw the Hindus fall from those heights of self-belief into the valley of doubt.