Origin of Pakistan

Lecture 1

Historical Overview

• Before Islam, Indians followed three major religions: Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism.

• For Arabs this area was a significant trade route to Celone and Indonesia

• First ship to India 630 AD• First major Arab attack

712 AD

• Arabs were followed by several different dynasties

Ghasnavids (962-1186) Ghurid Dynaty (1149-1206) Delhi Sultanate (1206-1525) The Great Mughal Empire

(1526-1857) The great Emperors include

Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurengzeb.

The last Mughal Emperor: Bahadur Shah Zafar.

• Downfall of the Empire was followed by the Europeans intervention in the area

• First European expedition Vasco de Gama: 1498

• Portugese were followed by the Netherlands and England.

• East India Company • British Raj became official

after 1857 and lasted till partition of India in 1947

• The period between 1857 to 1947 is marked as struggle for independence

• Aligarh movement and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan • Formation of Indian National Congress 1885• Partition of Bengal and its annulment 1905-1911• Formation of Muslim League 1906 • Khilafat Movement: The last milestone for Hindu-

Muslim Unity • Allahbad Address 1930 • Government of India Act and elections 1935-37• Pakistan Resolution 1940 • Formation of Pakistan 1947

Contending Explanations regarding formation of Pakistan

• Several writings available • Partition of India and creation of Pakistan by Ayesha

Jalal • Jaswant Singh: Jinnah, Partition India- Pakistan Claims that it was not Jinnah but Nehru and Sardar

Patel, their uncompromising attitude led to the partition.

• Maulana Azad in “India wins Freedom” also asserts the same point

• Afzal Tauseef explains the partition as a result of aspirations of feudal class

• According to Afzal Pakistan was created to preserve the interests of landowners (feudal)

• Since Nehru insisted on land reforms• Muslim League: product of British and Nawabs• On the other hand US interests. • League had crucial support of Unionist Party

in Punjab which represented feudal Punjabis and jagirdars

• Another popular explanation given by Khalid bin Sayeed: Pakistan the Formative Phase.

• In first chapter of his book; Pakistan: the Formative Phase, Sayeed deals with several explanations available

• first argument: Pakistan was the result of British politics of divide and rule:

• Tensions between Hindus and Muslims ever since the advent of British

• Granting of separate electorate to Muslims • This argument can be countered by the fact that

tensions remained among Hindu and Muslims even at the time of Akbar and Aurangzeb

• Several Muslim and Hindu movements to purify their nation and religion from the evils of other religion

• inability of British to bridge the gap between these two communities.

• Muslim stance: Pakistan result of Muslims’ consciousness on one hand and Indian communal attitude on the other

• Hindu short sightedness and exclusiveness • The most popular view is the “Two Nation Theory”• Charismatic leadership of Jinnah• Islamic fervour among the Muslims of India • Intense feeling of Islamic nationalism