In this book, the author takes Pakistan as a case study in a search for better definitions of nations and nationalism, arguing that it exhibits the three essential ingredients for a successful national movement. These are a distinctive integrated community, a particular set of circumstances, and purposeful leadership.

The Archives of the All-India Muslim League and other contemporary sources have been used in this comprehensive study of the Party that led the movement for the creation of Pakistan. The book encompasses the organizational structure of the All-India Muslim League, its financial and propaganda resources, its mobilization strategies, and different aspects of its struggle. Dr Afzal presents the account in a simple and lucid style. It is indispensable reading for anyone who wishes to understand the dynamics of the pre- and post-Independence history and politics of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

The popularity of the Muslim League and its idea of Pakistan has been measured in terms of its success in achieving the goal of a sovereign state in the Muslim majority regions of North West and North East India. It led to an oversight of Muslim leaders and organizations which were opposed to this demand, predicating their opposition to the League on its understanding of the history and ideological content of the Muslim nation. This volume takes stock of multiple narratives about Muslim identity formation in the context of debates about partition, historicizes those narratives, and reads them in the light of the larger political milieu of the period. Focusing on the critiques of the Muslim League, its concept of the Muslim nation, and the political settlement demanded on its behalf, it studies how the movement for Pakistan inspired a contentious, influential conversation on the definition of the Muslim nation.

'Ayesha Jalal's book is an important scholarly account of ... the partition of India in 1947.' American Historical Review

A reappraisal of the tumultuous Partition and how it ignited long-standing animosities between India and Pakistan This new edition of Yasmin Khan’s reappraisal of the tumultuous India-Pakistan Partition features an introduction reflecting on the latest research and on ways in which commemoration of the Partition has changed, and considers the Partition in light of the current refugee crisis. Reviews of the first edition: “A riveting book on this terrible story.”—Economist “Unsparing. . . . Provocative and painful.”—Times (London) “Many histories of Partition focus solely on the elite policy makers. Yasmin Khan’s empathetic account gives a great insight into the hopes, dreams, and fears of the millions affected by it.”—Owen Bennett Jones, BBC

This book outlines a narrative account of Jinnahs role in the political development of the Muslim League during the years 1924-1940. This period remains of crucial importance for understanding the achievement of Pakistan. While most studies have focused on the closing stages of the freedom movement this book reveals Jinnahs important influence in the reorganization of the Muslim League throughout a period when it faced major challenges to establish its political importance. The narrative draws on new sources in order to challenge some of the interpretations of key developments such as the 1937 Jinnah-Sikander Pact and to draw out the significance of Jinnahs role in the organization of the Muslim League. It discusses the evolution of the All-India Muslim League through the years from its birth to the Pakistan Resolution in 1940 and is useful in understanding the development of the League in the closing decades of British rule.

This book challenges the fundamental assumptions regarding the foundations of Pakistani nationalism during colonial rule in India.