Iftikhar Malik – författare

Until now, in-depth cultural information on Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country formed in 1947 after the dissolution of British rule in India, has been scarce. This crucial South Asian hotspot, in the news for tensions with neighboring India over nuclear capacity and security issues, finally is illuminated for general readers. This narrative encapsulates the historical pluralistic traditions, such as religious practices, languages, and ethnosocial ties, that Pakistanis share with their neighbors. The coverage of culture and customs is contextualized throughout with the richness of the past and present Indus Valley civilization.The author is a native of Pakistan and provides authoritative insight into the many aspects of history and contemporary life. Western readers will be exposed to a range of folk traditions that coexist with modern influences from globalization. Descriptions of unfamiliar cultural phenomena such as the architecture of shrines and tombs, the distinctive dress of different groups, Pakistani Muslim courtship and marriage rituals, and lively kite-flying contests are some of the highlights.

The History of Pakistan explores the rich and intricate past of a highly diverse nation still in the process of determining its own identity. Rooted in the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, shaped by the cultures of both the Middle and Far East, and now predominantly devoted to Islam, Pakistan has emerged as a unique Indo-Muslim community, viewed with caution and curiosity by the rest of the world. In this latest volume of Greenwood's History of Modern Nations series, readers discover the foundations of modern Pakistan, from its earliest empires and shared history with India to the coming of Islam and its successful fight for independence in 1947. This highly informative guide also examines the key issues and attitudes guiding Pakistan today: their volatile feud with India over the region of Kashmir and the right to nuclear development, internal debates over the role of Islam in Pakistani society, and the unbreakable dominance of the military in political affairs. Poised between a radically changing India and the politically unstable Middle East, Pakistan is an important nation to understand as it determines its course in rapidly a changing world.