Historiographical Critique and Paradigm Shift: Reflections and New Trends in Pakistani History since 1971

Abstract

East Pakistan became independent in 1971, and this event can be seen as a turning point for Pakistani nationalist historiography because it changed how historians view the national narrative and forced them to reconsider previous assumptions about state formation in the context of religious identity. Bangladesh was born at that time. It brought territorial division and population loss. Also, it challenged core assumptions of the “two-nation theory” and the “ideology of Pakistan” in a way that raised serious questions about whether Muslims constituted a unified nation when East and West Pakistan shared the same religious faith but still ended up in bloody separation. This historical trauma compelled Pakistan’s intellectual community to reexamine official historiographical paradigm. The paradigm had solidified since 1947 under specific political conditions, and now it faced serious challenges from intellectuals who wanted to develop new approaches characterized by critical reflection and new methodological tools that could better explain the actual historical process. It is worth noting that Pakistani historiography underwent a paradigm shift after 1971, and we can see this in K.K. Aziz’s empirical critique and Ayesha Jallal’s postmodern deconstruction. Also, Mubarak Ali made progressive historical explorations. At the same time, international historiographical trends were introduced. These include the Annales School and postmodernism. Subaltern studies also came. They provided new theoretical resources and they can be used as methodological tools for the further development of Pakistani historiography.