Pre-independence period
The history of Pakistan dates back deep into ancient civilizations that had flourished in the region. Of the most frequently quoted is the Indus Valley Civilization dating back about 2500 BCE. This civilization is marked by advanced urban planning; with cities that are very highly planned and efficient trade networks, as setting the foundation for the cultures that followed in the region.
Islam soon arrived in the region with Arab traders in the 8th century CE, continuing to establish various Muslim empires, such as the Ghaznavids and the Ghurids. The Delhi Sultanate, established in the 13th century, continued to do well in perpetuating Islamic influence north of India.
The Mughal Empire was, after all, that golden age of culture, architecture, and trade which began from the early part of the 16th century. Yet it is in the 18th century that the empire declined and became open to British colonial expansion.
Colonial Period
At the end of the 19th century, the British East India Company annexed vast sections of India, particularly geographical areas now comprising Pakistan. And with that came the intensification of the strengthening nationalist force, and, not incidentally, a growth of other political movements against colonial rule. It was in the year 1906 that All-India…
