Chequered Past, Uncertain Future: The History of Pakistan

(Hardback)

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Description

This book takes us on a sweeping journey through the ebbs and flows of Pakistan's history, from the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation to contemporary times. The book uncovers influences from Turkey, Persia, Arabia and Britain that have shaped Pakistan, as well as showcasing the region's diverse, 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 to become more religiously conservative and autocratic, intensifying sectarian and ethnic divisions. For most of its history, the people of Pakistan have found themselves under the control of military dictators who suppressed civil liberties and freedom of speech and action a trend that continues to persist today.

Reviews

"Pakistan's history is one of many twists and turns. It is a history of a new country, shaped by distinctively modern, nineteenth- and twentieth-century political trends, yet one also of great historical depth and considerable cultural diversity. As Kamran shows in this important new book, Pakistan's story illustrates the contradictions between considerable internal cultural dynamism and persistent structures of neocolonial dependence, reflected in the political domination, through many political changes and upheavals, of interlocked bureaucratic, landed and military elites. Chequered Past, Uncertain Future is a sweeping history that examines the most recent crises shaping Pakistan's political landscape."--David Gilmartin, distinguished professor of history, North Carolina State University, and author of "Blood and Water: The Indus River Basin in Modern History"

Author Bio

Tahir Kamran is Head of the Department of the Liberal Arts at Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Director of the Khuldunia 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 (with Ian Talbot, 2017).