The Book "Idea of Pakistan" 1858: Muslims Invaders (Book Review Sample)

NAME:BISMA FARRUKH
REG.NO:DDP-SP14-BCE-008
ASSIGNMENT OF PAK STUDIES
REVIEW OF "THE IDEA OF PAKISTAN”
This book was written by author STEPHEN PHILIPS COHEN IN 2004.the author is American .The author has explained how Islam came in subcontinent,British invasion in subcontinent,origins of the idea of Pakistan,about British RAJ,and several other related issues before creation of PAKISTAN and after creation of PAKISTAN.He also explains a major issue that why Pakistan is considered as a failed state.He explains Hindu,Muslim and British different point of views.
According to him Pakistan's domestic and external policies are entwined.I ,personally, liked this book because author has given full understanding of Pakistan’s political parties,islamists,civilian elites and various ethnic,linguistic and sectarian minorities.He also gave views of general idea of Pakistan in the world.Some say it "rogue state”.As idea of rogue state is perceived as terrorists.The flamboyant french intellectual BERNARD HENRI LEVY called Pakistan "the most delinquent of Nations.”JASWANT SINGH,a former Indian minister of external affairs
called Pakistan "TALIBAN EAST”.
This book really captured my interest from beginning as author explains how muslims invaders arrived in India and further on how their empire falls in 1858.How British RAJ came into sub continent.
The author explains quite diligently about "ISLAM”.As it was said to be a religion of desert lands.The caste system crept into Islam because Hindu religious practices were incorporated in Islamic rituals.Islam had a profound impact on India especially in transforming Sikhism from a pietistic Hindus sect into a martial faith.Many muslim ruling families and mughals became "Indianized" through the marriage of muslim princes and hindu princesses
With their children assuming positions in the state apparatus.Islam spread forcefully in India .Muslims power rested on superior military technology and tactics ,which enabled Muslim rulers to forcefully convert hindus to islam.According to some muslim writers ,the sufi movement played an important role in recruiting converts to islam,as indicated by the close linkage between hinduism,buddhism and sufism.Thus islam thrived in India for a variety of reasons:intermarriage,conversion ,the attractiveness of islamic egalitarianism and social and political advantages in context of muslim rulers.
Many muslims, including the leaders of the Pakistan movement ,saw India’s islamic period as a golden age ,an era of high culture and material and spiritual progress that was all but absent under the displaced "pagan" hindu regimes.To Hindu nationalists ,on the other hand ,the coming of the muslims brought a new dark age,marked by the mass destruction of places of worship ,forced conversions,and muslim cultural imperialism.The first great encounter between islam and west took place when christian armies expelled the muslims from the Iberian peninsula.The second occurred when Portuguese,dutch,french and british traders came to south Asia and warred with each other in the subcontinent.The first British "government" in india was that of the crown chartered East India Company.Events of 1857 are referred to as an uprising by Pakistani historians ,a mutiny by the British ,and the First war of Independence by nationalist indians.In sum ,the Raj’s approach was to adopt Persian and Mughal practices,but to denigrate its indo-islamic predecessors.
Kashmir’s issue is highlighted very expertly.Kashmir had a hindu ruler but a largely muslim population with hindu and Buddhist minorities.After the mutiny and revolution of 1857,in the words of Pakistani’s scholar administrator Akbar S.Ahmad,the muslims of India:
"lost their kingdom,their mughal empire,their emperor,their language,their culture,their capital city of delhi and their sense of self.”
As author indicated much of the Hindu-Muslim tension in British India stemmed not from religious but social and class differences.Certain issues had a particular appeal to India’s Muslims .One of the major issue was abolition of the khilafat after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire.
SIR SYED AHMAD KHAN,was the jurist,author and educator.Author indicated that Sir Syed Ahmad played a crucial role in strengthening of Muslims through education and guidance which was called Aligarh movement.A separate status for India’s muslims was in the works and became an important milestone road leading to Pakistan.
In this ...