Spanning thousands of years, a wide-ranging history of Pakistan from the Bronze Age to partition and beyond. This book takes us on a sweeping journey through the ebbs and flows of Pakistan’s history, from the ancient Indus Valley Civilization to contemporary times.
Chequered Past, Uncertain Futureuncovers influences from Turkey, Persia, Arabia, and Britain that have shaped Pakistan, as well as showcases the region’s diverse and rich tapestry of peoples, and its pluralistic, multicultural society. The book also describes the post-1947 shift—following the partition of India and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan—as the country became more religiously conservative and autocratic, intensifying sectarian and ethnic divisions. For most of their history, the people of Pakistan have found themselves under the control of military dictators who suppress civil liberties and freedom of speech and action—a trend that persists today.
Tahir Kamranis head of the Department of the Liberal Arts at Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, director of the Khaldunia Centre for Historical Research, and the editor of the
Pakistan Journal of Historical Studies. His books include
Colonial Lahore: A History of the City and Beyond.
Introductionby Ian Talbot1 From Pre-Historic to the Early Modern Era: 3800 bc to ad 1707 2 The British Rule and the Rise of Muslim Nationalism 3 Bloodied Partition and Punjabs Bifurcation: 1947 4 Multiple Challenges, Limited Options: Making sense of the Early Problems 5 Faltering Years of a Nascent State, 194758 6 Praetorianism Unbound (Ayub Khans Rule), 195869 7 Praetorianism Under Gen. Yahya Khan and East Pakistans Separation, 196971 8 The Era of Populism: Zulfi Bhutto, 19717 9 Piety and Praetorianism: General Zia ul Haqs Reign, 197788 10 The Rule of Troika and the Onset of Establishmentarian Democracy, 198899 11 Pervez Musharraf: An Autocratlƒ(