The official creation of Pakistan was in 1947, though the history of the land and its people is much older.
Ancient history
Human occupation of the area we know as Pakistan dates back some 500,000 years, with evidence of stone-age communities that evolved into farmers that cultivated vast areas. The Indus Valley civilisation flourished in the Indus River basins for over 700 years before being replaced by the Persian Achaemenid Empire. Alexander the Great rolled in with his Macedonian army in 327 BC, leaving behind an enormous empire stretching from Greece to the Indus River when he died.
Kushan Empire
Pakistan continued to be a highly sought-after territory. Buddhism and Hinduism prevailed until Muhammad bin Qasim’s conquest in 711 AD achieved the first Muslim foothold. Islam spread throughout the region, culminating in the creation of the Mughal Empire, which covered modern-day Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh.
The Mughals were descendants of the Turks and their leader, Babur, was said to descend from Genghis Kahn himself. The Mughals were renowned for their architecture (think: the Taj Mahal and Red Fort in India), and their interest in the arts which blended Persian, Indian and European influences.
The empire started to crack in the early 1700s, and by the end of the century, a Sikh Empire had taken control of the Punjab region.
British colonisation
The British Raj ruled the Indian subcontinent, including much of Pakistan, from 1858 to 1947 after several confrontations with the Sikh armies. After victory in the Anglo-Sikh wars, and due to the influence of the East India Company, the British dominated the region - though a national Muslim identity was slowly emerging.
A key figure in the movement was writer and poet Muhammad Iqbal, who believed a Muslim state was necessary in a Hindu-dominated region, though some argue he advocated for a Muslim province rather than a partition of the country.
The name ‘Pakistan’ was created in 1933 by political science student Choudhry Rahmat Ali as an acronym for the five northern regions of British India: Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sind and Baluchistan. ‘PAKSTAN’ became ‘Pakistan’ for pronunciation purposes.
Independence
Along with India, Pakistan gained independence from the British in 1947. Once the borders were drawn, an unforeseen issue arose in the Punjab region between Hindu minorities in Pakistan and Muslim minorities in India. A population exchange was agreed upon, but it was far from peaceful.
It’s estimated that over 10 million people migrated and that one to two million people died as a result of violence. This clash was the basis of the still unresolved Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India.
It’s worth noting, too, that Bangladesh was formerly known as East Pakistan and had a Bengali Muslim majority. In 1971, however, the Bengali Muslims split from their Western family because of discrimination and a lack of attention from the Pakistani government.
Modern history
Despite its complex history, Pakistan is tipped to become a significant economy and destination for adventure travel. With incredible treks, sublime mountain scenery and a welcoming population that loves hosting visitors, it may just be the best place you never considered visiting.
