Historical Impacts on Political Economy in Pakistan

Abstract

This article analyses the role and impact of the pre-1947 historical developments on political, policy and economic configurations in post-1947 Pakistan. There is a major gap in social science analysis on how and why these processes had pre-1947 main-springs. The article illustrates that Pakistan experienced a substantial level of resilience and continuity of structures and processes from the period of British rule and even earlier. This ‘long view’ can help us understand the undercurrents and articulations of power in the state of Pakistan. The article scrutinizes transitions in the late Mughal period; British policies and their consequences; and the major political transitions and policy parameters in post-1947 Pakistan. Linkages and continuities, as well as the relationships between the past and present, are brought together in this article in an effort to understand the fundamental forces that have shaped the political economy of Pakistan.