11/20/2023 0 Comments Tinderbox mj akbar![]() One remarkable quality of the book is its balanced approach. Is the main theme (mostly discussed time and again) of the thesis. "19th century, Jihad had become 'a source of chronic danger to the British power in India" Theory of distance offered by Eminent political theologian, Shah Waliullah, as the base of Jihad as well, as at one moment the writer jotted down, Its a good contemporary book to read, as from few others native Pakistani writers highlighted, pathetic historical deliberate mistakes of statesmen for Islam and Ideology, Pak thrives on. (This is the 3rd book by MJ Akbar that I read, and although I admit that I like many of his newspaper columns, I think it would take a stronger persuasion for me to take another book by him.) But, sadly not as insightful as I expected it to be. I rush through jumping from point to point, sometimes passing through them, skipping them, brushing them and leaving the whole work hugely unsatisfactory.Īkbar, a prominent journalist, politician in India, trying to tackle the complex question of Pakistan's past and future, starts off in style, spending more than two third of the book talking about pre-independence time Islamic history in the Indian sub-continent, providing 1000 unimportant names and narrating many irrelevant incidents, and finally skittering through the most important aspects that would define the troubling times of today. And then suddenly the warning bell rings and then I have to finish the essay in next 10 minutes. I begin in style, elaborating the most un-important thing with "you need to provide the context before you come to the actual gist" rationale. I reach the essay question without realizing that there are only few minutes left before the warning bell to ring. This is a good book to know about the history of Pakistan Movement but not for the history of Pakistan.I remember my school days' exams, where I used to keep the essay writing exercise towards the end, cause that would take considerable time and thought. He also gives a brief history of Pakistan. Akbar gives a sweeping account of the Freedom struggle and how the idea of a separate homeland became a reality. The history of Pakistan movement or the search for a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Subcontinent, according to Akbar, starts with the downfall of Mughal Empire. Rather than manufacturing fake narratives we should focus on personalities like Akbar and Dara Shikoh which represents the pluralist culture of India. Both the communities can live together without manufacturing fake history. This whitewashing of the brutal history of Sultanate period is not needed. ![]() Every temple from the North to the South bears evidence of the assaults which were carried out by Sultanate Rulers of Delhi. The same sources which MJ Akbar uses also contain facts which show that the reality was very different. But this view of the Sultanate period is absolutely false. This narrative is also prevalent in our textbook. ![]() He also cherry picks facts from various sources to buttress his arguments. The Muslim elite considered itself superior to the Hindus, but made no effort to impose its mores n those who wanted to be left alone. According to Akbar: 'the Muslims and the Hindus respected their difference and lived with it. In this book, MJ Akbar tries to project that, in the Sultanate period, the relation between the two communities were not bad. The Muslim rule in India can be divided into two phases (three if you include the Muslim conquest of Arab, but I won't go there because its effects were negligible in the Subcontinent) Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Period. This narrative of the Muslim rule is quite popular in India. In this book, the author first gives a short history of the Muslim rule in India and tries to show that during this period the majority Hindus which were ruled by minority Muslims lived happily and had the freedom to worship their gods and celebrate their festivals. In Tinderbox, MJ Akbar grapples with the question: why a country which was created in the name of Islam has become one of the most violent nations on earth where Muslims are killing Muslims? In 1947 Muslim of British India opted for a separate homeland because they felt they would be physically safe and their religion secure in a new nation called Pakistan.
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