Question that repeatedly baffles many students of Pakistan history is: where does our authentic history start from?
HUB: This refers to Raza Rumi’s article, “A definitive history of Pakistan”, published in The Express Tribune on January 13. Illuminating Pakistan’s history appropriately has always been a controversial affair.
I would frankly say that I catch myself to be between the devil and the deep sea when asked to opine about the history of Pakistan. Students who are sitting for any competitive exams have to go through two perplexing phases. They first have to link and tell history from the heyday of Islamic rule, which includes various conquerors like Tariq bin Ziyad and Muhammad bin Qasim. Secondly, students have to look meticulously into the history of the subcontinent which also has two plots: the road to the Pakistan Movement and contemporary Pakistan. Both these versions often don’t lead to the same end, and students are left exhausted hankering after the one historical truth.
The question that repeatedly baffles many students of Pakistan history is: where does our authentic history start from? Does it start from the advent of Islam or does it start after the subcontinent fell in the hands of the British? Then, we are further confused by analysts who deem this or that version of Pakistan’s history to be inaccurate.
Besides this, it is also believed that history that is taught to the new generation is flawed, inadequate and irresponsibly imparted to students. There is much confusion as many students look for ‘truths’ and are not taught the technicalities of contradictory historiography, or of being comfortable with competing claims.
I request expert historians of the country that weary students need to be taught history with a rational analysis so that our coming generations may not live in ignorance and folly.
Ayaz Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2015.
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