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The State of Martial Rule: The Origins of Pakistan's Political Economy of Defence
Jalal, Ayesha
Hardcover
First published June 29, 1990
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About the author
Ayesha Jalal
34 books239 followersAyesha Jalal is a Pakistani-American historian and academic, and the Mary Richardson Professor of History at Tufts University. Her work focuses on the military-industrial complex, post-colonial politics, and Muslim identity in South Asia. She is also known for positing in The Sole Spokesman that the Partition of India and Pakistan was less a political necessity than a terrible human tragedy and that the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was a pragmatist who was motivated by greater rights for the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent than the creation of a separate state.
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January 31, 2016
A fascinating tale about the post-partition politics in Pakistan. The first few chapters discuss the difficulties faced in constructing the state. Pakistan had strange cultural differences, geographical peculiarities and linguistic diversities.
Ayesha Jalal provides convincing evidence to prove the causes of institutional imbalances in Pakistan. Instead of taking the standard point of view of blaming the untalented and corrupt leadership. The author holds accountable the bureaucratic-military alliance and their joining of hands with the industrial elite for the centralisation of power. After partition, there was a serious need of a well-knit political party for the coordination and development of state. But the defence allocation deprived the provinces of their resources. Even the Americans were suprised to see the Pakistani officials begging for a wheat grant and on the other hand having a armaments shopping list. The bureaucratic-military alliance used their international friendships to pursue power at the expense of the political process. The same alliance was behind the formation of a single unit to further enhance their interests in the state. This came as a major blow to the wish of autonomy for the people of East Pakistan and further deteriorated the socio-economic issues.
She also mentions how the religion has been used again and again to unify people. Groups such as the Jamat-e-Islami, the Ahrars and the Khaksars opposed the demand for Pakistan on account of its being insufficiently imbued with the principles of Islam. After partition these same groups became the loudest proponents of an 'Islamic State'.
In the last part she discusses the rule from 1958- to the election of Benazir Bhutto. Also, explains the unceremonious farewell of Ayub Khan with the urban uprisings and Yahya Khan with the disintegration of Pakistan.
A must read for anyone who wants to understand the genesis of institutional imbalances in Pakistan.
I have been introduced to new concepts such as the controlled democracy. Haha!
P.S it is my first book review.
Ayesha Jalal provides convincing evidence to prove the causes of institutional imbalances in Pakistan. Instead of taking the standard point of view of blaming the untalented and corrupt leadership. The author holds accountable the bureaucratic-military alliance and their joining of hands with the industrial elite for the centralisation of power. After partition, there was a serious need of a well-knit political party for the coordination and development of state. But the defence allocation deprived the provinces of their resources. Even the Americans were suprised to see the Pakistani officials begging for a wheat grant and on the other hand having a armaments shopping list. The bureaucratic-military alliance used their international friendships to pursue power at the expense of the political process. The same alliance was behind the formation of a single unit to further enhance their interests in the state. This came as a major blow to the wish of autonomy for the people of East Pakistan and further deteriorated the socio-economic issues.
She also mentions how the religion has been used again and again to unify people. Groups such as the Jamat-e-Islami, the Ahrars and the Khaksars opposed the demand for Pakistan on account of its being insufficiently imbued with the principles of Islam. After partition these same groups became the loudest proponents of an 'Islamic State'.
In the last part she discusses the rule from 1958- to the election of Benazir Bhutto. Also, explains the unceremonious farewell of Ayub Khan with the urban uprisings and Yahya Khan with the disintegration of Pakistan.
A must read for anyone who wants to understand the genesis of institutional imbalances in Pakistan.
I have been introduced to new concepts such as the controlled democracy. Haha!
P.S it is my first book review.
Displaying 1 of 1 review