A Brief History of Pakistan

 

Pakistan has been around since 1947, which isn’t that long at all, relatively speaking. So it can be hard to wrap your head around the country’s entire history. Luckily, we’ve put together this brief timeline of Pakistan to help you better understand how this country has come to be what it is today!

Muhammad Bin Qasim

In 711, Muhammad bin Qasim became a viceroy for one of the first Muslim empires in what is now modern-day Pakistan. He led an army to conquer a people that had refused to convert to Islam and instead continue practising Brahmanism. Qasim went into battle with as few as 3,000 soldiers but still was able to defeat them; he is widely recognized as being one of only a handful of Muslims who helped establish Muslim rule throughout South Asia and beyond.

The Delhi Sultanate

From 1206 until 1526, Delhi was controlled by a series of Muslim dynasties collectively known as the Sultanate. From 1296 to 1316, Qutb al-Din Aibak ruled over an independent Delhi. In 1321, Muhammad bin Tughluq moved his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (near Aurangabad in Maharashtra). He died in 1325 and his son Firoz Shah Tughlaq succeeded him. After Firoz died in 1351, there was a power struggle between his sons and Mamluk generals who seized power and established themselves as sultans.

Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire, founded in 1526, was one of India’s greatest historical empires. Initially under Abu’l-Fath Jalal ud din Muhammad Akbar—known popularly as Akbar—the empire stretched from Afghanistan and Bangladesh to Baluchistan. Under its most powerful ruler, Aurangzeb (who ruled from 1658 to 1707), it expanded into southern India, defeating Hindu rulers and taking over their kingdoms.

Independence from British Empire

At midnight on 14 August 1947, India gained independence from Britain. The United Kingdom recognized its former colony as two separate nations: India and Pakistan. However, that's when things got messy. Two days later, rioting broke out between Hindus and Muslims in Calcutta (now Kolkata), causing hundreds of deaths.

Partition of India

The British withdrew from India in 1947, partitioning it into two new nations: India and Pakistan. The border between these two new countries split Punjab province (in present-day northern India and eastern Pakistan) along religious lines, with Muslim areas becoming part of Pakistan and Hindu/Sikh areas remaining with India. Mobs reacted to Partition with widespread violence on both sides, killing between 200,000 and 2 million people before the order was restored.

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

After being called an unsinkable aircraft carrier by President Richard Nixon, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) declared independence and broke away from West Pakistan. After numerous border skirmishes, India joined the conflict on December 3 and invaded East Pakistan. India captured Dhaka after a nine-month-long campaign, resulting in over 90,000 casualties. Facing defeat, Pakistani forces surrendered to both India and Bangladesh in mid-December 1971.

Operation Gibraltar (1965)

The attack on Lahore, codenamed Operation Gibraltar, was an operation launched by India to deliver a military strike across its international border into West Punjab as an effort to relieve pressure on its forces in East Pakistan. The attack was launched at several places along India's western border with Pakistan.

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Section: Kargil War

Then, in 1999, Indian-Pakistani tensions escalated with an attack by Pakistani militants on India's parliament. Since then, relations have been tense. At least 17 cross-border exchanges of fire have been reported along the Line of Control that separates Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir since 2003.

21st century

The 21st century is a common era in which many events occurred. For example, it has been used as a way to refer to The 2000s (decade): In North America and Western Europe, most people say 2000s when referring to these years. However, in East Asia and South America, most people say the 21st century. The 2010s: In North America and Western Europe, most people say 2010s when referring to these years. However, in East Asia and South America, most people say the 21st century.