Narratives, Power, and Identity: Revisiting Pakistani Historiography in the Shadow of Politics and Selective Memory
Abstract
Abstract Views: 31
This critical review deals with some of the important issues of Pakistani historiography with opportunities for further improvement including but not limited to the following aspects: enmeshment of political power with historical accounts; crafting national identity through selective memory; negligent public engagement with academic scholarship. Alongside state-spin narratives which further marginalize an already marginalized perspective, scholars such as Ayesha Jalal, K.K. Aziz advocate intellectual integrity and nuanced inquiry. Related to this, another issue is restricted access to archival records, gender bias, and a call for interdisciplinary in historical research to make it more fruitful. This review stresses historical revisionism rejecting dominant paradigms and creating inclusion. Further recommendations include democratizing knowledge through more accessible mechanisms, co-opted ethical representation, and decolonizing narratives of the varied heritage of Pakistan. Pakistani historians, therefore, can address these issues for more objective, inclusive, and publicly engaged historiography surrounding the social-political realities of the country.
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