Uncovering the art of historiography

Dr Huma Ghaffar's new book analyses how history is written and compiled

KARACHI: To cater to the need of understanding how history should be written, Dr Huma Ghaffar launched her new book, titled Pakistan mai tareekh navesi ka tajziati mutaala [Political Analysis of Historiography in Pakistan].

The book launch was held at Manzar Akbar Hall in the Arts Council of Pakistan on Friday and the chief guest at the event was historian Dr Mubarak Ali.

Anthropologist Dr Hafeez Jamali, who teaches at Habib University, remarked that many books have been written on history and much critical analysis has been carried out however little attention has been paid to how history should be written and compiled. "Authors should also write about the different ways to explain and understand history," he added.

Jamali said that the book explains the different ways history can be compiled.

"Our state and society has ignored history since the beginning," said University of Karachi Pakistan Study Center's Director Dr Jaffar Ahmed, addressing the audience.

He remarked that the state has distorted the history of the Sub-Continent and instead has chosen to promulgate its own narratives.

The book studies and analyses the works of three people: author Aziz Ahmed, bureaucrat Sheikh Muhammad Ikram and writer Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi.

Criticising the work, Shaheeh Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology social sciences dean Dr Riaz Shaikh said that none of the three figures were proper historians.

Replying to this, Dr Ghaffar explained that she used the works of three people to get a wider understanding of the subject. The beauty of research lies in the fact that it always has room for amendments and change, she explained.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2016.