jahangeer's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book, A thorough, detailed account of Pakistan, from the country's independence to the second decade of the 21st century.
Christophe Jaffrelot has written a very informative, revealing book that is meticulous in details, and eloquent in style.
The author defines the 70 odds years of Pakistan's history in 3 Paradoxes, hence the book is structured into 3 parts.
The first of the paradox is about the country's integration through one language Urdu, or the unitary system of Pakistan, a centralized authority that Pakistan founders and then later on successive leaders chose for the integration of its nation against the ethnolinguistics regional provinces sovereignty.
The second paradox is about the power politics, the tussle between two forces, the civilians and the military, each wants to exert its authority over the Pakistani society, and the military succeeded heavily in this cause. This part talks about Pakistan in the years when it was ruled by the Military, and about the years when it was ruled by civilians.
The third paradox is that related to its religion, which revolves around the idea of Pakistan, being a Republic, Or Islamic state.
The three-way structure of the book is the very equivalent of the symbol of Pakistan, that is the Unity, Faith, Discipline.
I liked this book for several reasons, first, it has covered everything, seconding it is unique as it has discussed meticulously events such as 71, Bhutto's trial proceedings, the period of 88-99, and lastly but more importantly its brilliant account on the rise of sectarianism, and Jihadism in Pakistan, and then the details accounts on American war on terror, the Taliban, and TTP in the context of Pakistan.
Christophe Jaffrelot has written a very informative, revealing book that is meticulous in details, and eloquent in style.
The author defines the 70 odds years of Pakistan's history in 3 Paradoxes, hence the book is structured into 3 parts.
The first of the paradox is about the country's integration through one language Urdu, or the unitary system of Pakistan, a centralized authority that Pakistan founders and then later on successive leaders chose for the integration of its nation against the ethnolinguistics regional provinces sovereignty.
The second paradox is about the power politics, the tussle between two forces, the civilians and the military, each wants to exert its authority over the Pakistani society, and the military succeeded heavily in this cause. This part talks about Pakistan in the years when it was ruled by the Military, and about the years when it was ruled by civilians.
The third paradox is that related to its religion, which revolves around the idea of Pakistan, being a Republic, Or Islamic state.
The three-way structure of the book is the very equivalent of the symbol of Pakistan, that is the Unity, Faith, Discipline.
I liked this book for several reasons, first, it has covered everything, seconding it is unique as it has discussed meticulously events such as 71, Bhutto's trial proceedings, the period of 88-99, and lastly but more importantly its brilliant account on the rise of sectarianism, and Jihadism in Pakistan, and then the details accounts on American war on terror, the Taliban, and TTP in the context of Pakistan.
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