Pakistan Studies Class - October 31, 2025

Topics Covered

The Birth of a Nation: The Story of Pakistan’s Creation and the Two-Nation Theory

Prologue: A Land of Harmony

• For over 400 years (1500s-1857), during the Mughal era, Hindus and Muslims lived peacefully side by side
• Communities shared languages (Persian and Urdu), celebrated together, and built a shared culture
• No question of separate nations based on religion arose during this period

Chapter 1: The Arrival of the Company

• 1600: Mughal Emperor Jahangir granted trading rights to English merchants
• 1605-1665: Establishment of the British East India Company
• British implemented “Divide and Rule” strategy
  • A slow-acting poison administered over decades
  • United people are unconquerable, but divided people are easily ruled
  • British pitted communities against each other while appearing as humble merchants

Chapter 2: The Battle for Bengal

• 1757: Battle of Plassey - British victory over the Nawab of Bengal
• 1757-1857: Systematic British conquest of the subcontinent
• Local rulers reduced to puppets
• British ensured Hindus blamed Muslims and Muslims blamed Hindus, while the real oppressor remained invisible

Chapter 3: The Weapon of Language

• For centuries, Persian and Urdu were everyone’s languages - bridges, not barriers
• 1867: Hindi-Urdu Controversy
  • British promoted Hindi as distinctly Hindu and Urdu as distinctly Muslim
  • Different scripts, vocabularies, and literary traditions weaponized as markers of religious identity
  • Riots broke out in Banaras over language
  • Regional variations of the same linguistic family weaponized against each other

Chapter 4: The Awakening of Sir Syed

• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan witnessed the violence in Banaras
• Wrote to British Governor Shakespeare concluding: “Hindus and Muslims cannot live together as one nation”
• Birth of the Two-Nation Theory in modern political form
• Theory: Hindus and Muslims were not just different religious communities but two separate nations with distinct cultures, languages, and philosophies

Chapter 5: The Seeds of Independence

• 1905: Bengal Partition (annulled in 1911)
  • Reinforced belief in separate identities
  • Planted idea of geographical separation by religion
• 1930: Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s Vision
  • Proposed creation of independent Muslim states in northwestern regions
  • Never uttered the word “Pakistan” in his address
  • Vision was of autonomous Muslim-majority provinces
• 1933: Chaudhry Rahmat Ali Coins “Pakistan”
  • Writing from Cambridge University in pamphlet “Now or Never”
  • P = Punjab, A = Afghania, K = Kashmir, S = Sindh, TAN = Baluchistan
  • Also means “Land of the Pure” in Urdu

Chapter 6: The Lahore Resolution

• March 23, 1940: Historic gathering at Minto Park, Lahore
• Formal demand for creation of independent Muslim states in Muslim-majority areas
• Resolution passed with thunderous approval from massive, peaceful crowd
• Important: The word “Pakistan” was NOT mentioned in the resolution itself
• March 24-25, 1940: Newspapers seized upon Rahmat Ali’s name, headlines announced Muslims demanding “Pakistan”
• Media shaped history - what was formally called “independent Muslim states” became forever linked to “Pakistan”

Chapter 7: The Struggle Continues

• World War II brought new complexities
• British, weakened by war, could no longer maintain grip on subcontinent
• Muslim League under Muhammad Ali Jinnah pushed for Pakistan
• Indian National Congress advocated for united India

Chapter 8: Freedom and Farewell

• August 14, 1947: Pakistan emerged as independent nation
• One of the largest migrations in human history
• Joy of independence tinged with sorrow and communal violence
• March 23, 1956: Pakistan adopted its first constitution (16 years after Lahore Resolution)

Key Points

Timeline of Major Events

• 1500s-1857: Mughal era - 400+ years of peaceful coexistence
• 1600: Trading rights granted to English merchants
• 1605-1665: British East India Company established
• 1757: Battle of Plassey
• 1867: Hindi-Urdu controversy; Sir Syed’s realization
• 1905: Partition of Bengal
• 1930: Iqbal’s vision at Hyderabad session
• 1933: “Pakistan” name coined
• March 23, 1940: Lahore Resolution
• August 14, 1947: Independence
• March 23, 1956: First Constitution

Critical Lessons

1. Divide and Rule Strategy: British deliberately created divisions over a century where none existed before
2. Language as Weapon: Weaponizing Hindi-Urdu controversy destroyed centuries of linguistic unity
3. Manufactured Division: Social harmony existed for 400+ years but was shattered in one century of manipulation
4. Media’s Power: The name “Pakistan” became famous through newspapers, not official documents
5. Gradual Poisoning: Like smoking addiction, communities didn’t realize they were being divided until damage was irreversible

Questions to Consider

• Who benefits when communities are divided against each other?
• How can we recognize when we’re being manipulated into suspicion and hostility?
• What role does language play in either uniting or dividing people?
• How do we build bridges in a world that profits from building walls?

Personal Reflection on Politics

• Politics is about personal opinions on issues affecting our lives
• Choose battles carefully - focus on what’s within our power to change:
  • Becoming independent and self-reliant
  • Improving ourselves and our skills
  • Contributing positively to immediate communities
  • Building understanding rather than division
• Sometimes the most political act is to refuse to be divided

Additional Resources

• Source document covers the complete story from Mughal harmony through British colonialism to Pakistan’s independence
• Emphasizes the deliberate nature of colonial “Divide and Rule” tactics
• Highlights the tragedy of manufactured divisions destroying centuries of coexistence