Pakistan: A Very Short Introduction

Pakistan is a post-colonial nation with a four-thousand-year history, created as a homeland for Muslims of British India. This Very Short Introduction explores its complex tapestry of linguistic, ethnic, and cultural identities and tensions, tracing its deep past to demonstrate the influence of human settlement and civilisation on its contemporary political arena. It considers Pakistan's religion, society, state, military, everyday life, popular culture, languages, and literature, as well as its relationship with the rest of the world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 25 November 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Pakistan is a seventy-year-old post-colonial product of the bloodiest partition of territory and population that accompanied the end of British empire in South Asia. However, the region of the Indus Valley has a four-thousand-year-old history, and was the site of one of the earliest and greatest riverine civilisations in the world. Although the modern nation of Pakistan as we know it was created as a homeland for the Muslims of British India, it is impossible to understand the complex tapestry of linguistic, ethnic, and cultural identities and tensions of the region without tracing its deep past. This Very Short Introduction looks at Pakistan as one of the two nation-states of the Indian sub-continent that emerged in 1947. Pippa Virdee reaches into the ancient past to demonstrate the influence of trajectories of human settlement and civilisation on Pakistan's contemporary political arena, and shows how the longer continuities between the land and its peoples are as important as the short-term changes in the political landscape. She considers Pakistan's religion and society, the state and the military, everyday life, popular culture, languages and literature, as well as Pakistan's relationship with the rest of the world. Virdee also looks to the challenges of the 21st century and the future of Pakistan.

The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Weight: 136g
Dimension: 111 x 174 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198847076