Pakistan History |
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British India States
The nation-state of Pakistan was
established in 1947 as one of the two successor states of British India, yet the
land and its people possess an extensive and continuous history that can be
traced back to very ancient times. The history of Pakistan for times preceding
1947 sometimes partially overlaps with that of India, Afghanistan, and Iran.
The oldest evidence of human life (8,000 to 6,000 years ago) in Pakistan was
found in the Soan River valley of Pothohar region of Punjab. This human
activity, called Soan Culture, discovered in the form of pebble tools scattered
long the river. In Peshawar Valley of ancient Gandhara, there is evidence of
existence of Stone Age men found at Sanghao near Mardan. Stone tools and burnt
bones dated 7,000 years were found near caves. Cave dwellers of middle Stone Age
used quartz flakes tools.
History of India and Pakistan
The five thousand year history of Pakistan reveals that the Indus Valley
Civilization of Pakistan and the Gangetic Valley Civilization of India have
remained always separate entities. In fact, governments based in ancient Pakistan
ruled over northern India more often and for much longer periods thangovernments based in India ruled over Pakistan territories.
Pakistan Independence History
What is more important, ancient Pakistan as an independent country[citation needed] always
looked westward and had more connections ethnic, cultural, linguistic,
religious, commercial, as well as political with the Sumerian, Babylonian,
Persian, Greek and Central Asian civilizations than with the Gangetic Valley. It
was only from the Muslim period onward that it became subservient to northern
Indian governments. [citation needed] Even this period is not devoid of revolts
and successful assertion of independence by people of Pakistan. In the
pre-Muslim period, India’s great expansion covering large portions of the South
Asia took place only during the reigns of the Mauryas (third century BCE), the
Guptas (4th century CE), Raja Harsha (7th century CE), the Gurjara empire of
Raja Bhoj (8th century CE) and the Pratiharas (9th century CE). It is important
to note that except for the Maurya period lasting barely a hundred years, under
none of the other dynasties did the Indian based governments ever rule over
Pakistan.[citation needed] They always remained east of river Sutlej. Persian
Achaemenian Empire conquered ancient Pakistan and it remained part of Persian
empire for more than two hundred years. Alexander the Great also conquered Indus
satrapy, modern Pakistan, and did briefly cross into India but returned after
his army refused to advance further into India. Ancient Pakistan remained part
of the Hellenic world for next hundred fifty years. During the Arab rule, the
territories of Pakistan were known as 'Sindh' and Indian territories were known
as 'Hind'. The Arab dynasties ruled Pakistan from Baghdad, Iraq and from
Damascus, Syria for more than two hundred years.
Pakistan Indus Land
Pakistan, the Indus land, is the child of the Indus in the same way as Egypt is
the gift of Nile. The Indus has provided unity, fertility, communication,
direction and the entire landscape to the country. Its location marks it as a
great divide as well as a link between Central Asia and South Asia. However, the
historical movements of the people from Central Asia and South Asia have given
to it a character of its own and have established closer relation between the
people of Pakistan and those of Iran, Afghanistan and Turkistan.