The book under review comprises 12 parts. Part I is on Ancient and Medieval history followed all of a sudden by Part II dealing with history of Muslim Revival Movement. Part III is about history of the Political Struggle followed by history of Pakistan Movement; Political History of the State; Constitutional History; History of the Institutions; Diplomatic History; Economic History and Cultural History.
The very headings of the chapters show that the author has in his mind the format of encapsulated sections complete in themselves, though connected with each other. Personality profiles have been given in Chapters II to VI, IX & XII. I believe that such a scheme has its own hazards. The agreement on the selection of 'content' of each chapter is likely to invite diverse opinions.
Professor M.R. Kazimi has the reputation of being a promising Urdu writer and critic. His studies of Josh Malihabadi and Marsia writers have evinced discerning reader's interest but his academic forte is history. A college teacher of history all his life, it was his doctoral thesis on Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, which attracted attention of the scholars of Pakistan Movement.
Having worked with the editorial team of the Oxford University Press, he got the opportunity to be entrusted with the assignment of writing 'A Concise History of Pakistan' which has been designed to serve the students of Pakistan Movement in particular and history in general. Being his first book on this important subject it is likely to have disagreements on content and treatment.
Professor Kazimi has done a good job for those who don't expect him to be a Kosambi, Syed Mushirul Hasan, Ishtiaque Husain Qureshi, K.K. Aziz and Sharifal Mujahid and many more to give a well-planned book having the selection and interpretation of facts to serve a consistent design.
M.R. Kazimi uses at time 'facts' which could be better ignored. For example his treatment of Alexander leaves the account of Selucid line of Greek Kings sway over ancient India ie Pakistan) for approximately 125 years. For example his discussion of Moenjodaro doesn't take into account the attempt of deciphering of Moenjodaro seals, which remain undecyphered so far. He doesn't dilate on the gift of Indus Civilisation to Hindu triad in the shape of Shiva.
On Page 22, he doesn't seem to give any weight to the fact that the Muslim majorities in the Eastern and Western rimlands of the sub-continent were due to the conversion of the Buddhist majorities to Islam in these regions. The Buddhists of the present day Afghanistan and Central Asia had also gladly embraced Islam in the same manner in which the Eastern and Western rimlands of the sub-continent embraced Islam.
The chapter "Muslim Society in South Asia", advances a view, spreading of Islam by the mystics, which has been challenged by Dr Riaz ul Islam in his book 'Mysticism in South Asia'. This view of perhaps the last recognised historian of Pakistan at least needed some examination.
The spread of Islam by the efforts of the mystics is becoming a bid dated. Dr Riaz ul Islam's book which was published by the OUP a decade earlier, doesn't appear in the notes (a term used for Bibliography) provided at the end of the chapter. The chapter 6 (The Ijtihad Movement) omits the discussion of a heated controversy over the Wahabi Movement's imagined collusion with the British.
A brief mention of these aspects could deepen the interest of the readers a bit further but Kazimi has done well by ascribing to the movement the division of leadership of Muslim society in the spiritual and secular compartments, which makes the Wahabi Movement a world apart from the present day Taliban perception in Malakand area. Parts II, III, IV & V of the book are commendable except that the betrayal of the Congress on the Federal structure of the Central government in the Nehru report after agreement in the Lucknow Agreement in 1916 has not been duly emphasised and explained and this led to the point of no return.
Part X (The Cultural History) raises another issue. The writer has only thought it expedient to name celebrities in the field of literature from amongst a less well-known circle. I believe he could be objective and include more well-known writers. For example, the writer's preference for "Hafeez Jalindheri" for the chapter profile instead of Faiz or Qasimi or Josh is not understandable.
May be Hafeez Jalindheri's National Anthem may have weighed heavily in the eyes of the author but the poet of national anthem doesn't come anywhere near Faiz Ahmed Faiz or Qasimi or Josh. Anyhow the book will serve the students of Pakistan Movement as far as the general line of text book on Pakistan Movement is concerned. It is hoped that Professor Kazimi will be revisiting the points raised in this review in the next edition. Anyhow, his labour of love is undoubtedly praiseworthy.
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Book : A concise history of Pakistan
Author : M.R. Kazimi
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Pages : 392
Price : Rs 495/-
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