Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan - Hardcover

M.J. Akbar

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9350290391 ISBN 13: 9789350290392

Publisher: Harper Collins India, 2011

Synopsis

Nations do not commit suicide, nor die of accidents or old age. There is, however, a serious malaise within Pakistan's body politic, arising from one gene within the country's DNA. The question is not whether Pakistan will survive, but what it will survive as: a modern democracy or an illiberal theocracy. Jinnah visualized a Pakistan that had a Muslim majority, but was secular in its practices. He did not comprehend that he had created an opportunity for those committed to an alternative ideology. The most powerful of these ideologues was an extraordinary cleric with exceptional persuasive powers, Maulana Maududi. If Jinnah was the father of Pakistan, Maududi emerged as its godfather. This book explores the roots of this ideology in the history of Indian Muslims; how it has, with meticulous perseverance, crept into the life of Pakistan; and what the implications are for the future. If these implications were limited to Pakistanis, it might have been a containable problem, but their impact has had explosive consequences for the region and the world. Without understanding the why, it is virtually impossible to know what needs to be done.

About this title

Review:

"A lively read. . . . Among many recent books on Pakistan, Mr. Akbar's stands out . . . it is a fine and detailed history of Indian Muslim anger and insecurity, spawned by the 18th-century decline of the Mughals, and the way this played out in the freedom struggle."--The Economist

"Akbar's elegant, probing work exhibits a sympathetic insider's understanding of the complex, evolving relationship between Muslims and Hindus in the area. . . . Presents a thoughtful historical perspective, rich in detail, research and gloom."--Kirkus Reviews

"Historically grounded, informative."--Publishers Weekly

"An acclaimed journalist gives us the one thing he can: an illuminating history."--Daily Beast

An acclaimed journalist gives us the one thing he can: an illuminating history. --Daily Beast"

Historically grounded, informative. --Publishers Weekly"

A lively read. . . . Among many recent books on Pakistan, Mr. Akbar s stands out . . . it is a fine and detailed history of Indian Muslim anger and insecurity, spawned by the 18th-century decline of the Mughals, and the way this played out in the freedom struggle. --The Economist"

Akbar s elegant, probing work exhibits a sympathetic insider s understanding of the complex, evolving relationship between Muslims and Hindus in the area. . . . Presents a thoughtful historical perspective, rich in detail, research and gloom. --Kirkus Reviews"

From the Back Cover:

In Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan, acclaimed author and journalist M. J. Akbar traces the search for a "Muslim space" that began in the eighteenth century, and the events, people, circumstances, and mind-set that culminated in a fractured India in 1947. But why is Pakistan in danger of becoming a "jelly state," a country that constantly quivers on the edge of instability? Akbar investigates contradictions in the nation's modern leadership, from Jinnah's secular ideals to the theocrats' clear stance on creating a "sanctuary of Islam." He also offers an intimate appraisal of the young nation's future--including the global implications of nuclear armament and the harboring of terrorists like Osama bin Laden.

Tinderbox, a riveting and expansive biography of a nation, fills a crucial void in our understanding--even as the region's conflicts grow to affect the entire world.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Collins India
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 9350290391
• ISBN 13: 9789350290392
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 344