They have done loot mar. muslim or non-muslim thing has nothing to do with this. Considering them as thieves back in the day, we have now changed the shift. people would probably consider them as heroes. Its funny how the world changes. Our warriors in Punjab sacrificed a lot back in the day, avoiding to get ruled. certainly people will never understand this until you start reading history from non-pakistani perspective.
Whats next? well, i see us Pakistanis considering Indians as saints in the future. People like you will probably either forget or probably will never learn the fact that how our ancestors sacrificed in 1947 to make Pakistan from Hindu and Sikh pressure.
Mughals were nothing to Pakistan. They had a lot to do with Indian business. They tried to come in so they can get our resources. They failed in other regions. It was only punjab, they tried to gain control easily on our side.
First off, you don't know s**t about me so don't try to classify me as 'people like you'.
Secondly, I wasn't born yesterday so I do know that history is always written with a certain bias, either subtle as in the best of cases or out right revisionism in the very worst - So please spare me the pedagogic pep talk.
And Thirdly, I couldn't find any example of atrocities committed by the Mughal Army on the Punjabi people barring the ones the Sikh were subjected to. In fact, we the Punjabis and we the Pathans were called Martial Races even before the British and Jhelum is not a 64 year old prime recruiting ground.
But even if we take this, what appears to be, a fallacious argument on its face value : So what ? None of them were saints, name a single Empire in which such things didn't happen ? In fact, talking about perspectives, there is ample literature out there to suggest that human right abuses also happened during the reign of Our 4 Rightly Guided Caliphs. And yet we idolize them, why ? Because the world got a taste of civility, modernity and liberalism under these same Caliphs. Similarly, while we can level a truck load of assertions against the Mughals we must also historically contextualize all human rights abuses and also look at what they gave us :
Unity to the Indian Subcontinent.
Unprecedented Economic growth (they didn't call India the Golden Sparrow for nothing) due to a unified currency and extensive trade routes as far as Arabia and Central Asia.
A truly tolerant and harmonious society under Akbar and his immediate son.
Metallurgical expertise unheard off.
And I haven't even touched on the Arts.
They officiated the Urdu language and opened centres of its development and learning.
As for the Pakistani bit: Sort of paradoxical that you'd ignore the Mughals when it was there Empire - Our Empire - that gave us the opportunity to be at the helm of things for a 1000 years. When Muslims, by and large, weren't persecuted and there was communal harmony for huge swathes of time. And that the fall of the Mughal Empire precipitated our fall from privilege, that our centres of learning went from excellent to obsolete and that Muslims became such a forgotten race that Ghalib, Mir, Sauda, Zafar - all of them, couldn't write anything but of despondency.
And the Mughal Empire was much more about what they gave us, but rather what they stood for, what they represented - Freedom for the Muslims to live their lives without fear of persecution or second-class citizenry.
As for me never learning the fact that our ancestors were slaughtered like pigs in '47 - I am well versed with what happened, me, being a Kashmiri knows first hand what could happen and what did happen. Entire villages in Kashmir of my extended family were reduced to nothing, with the women defiled and the men butchered. I remember that, I also happened to have a grandfather who was in his early 30s at the time of the partition and hence had an adults view of what did and did not happen.
The only thing that I was trying to emphasize in my previous posts more than anything was not to espouse the greatness of the Persian, the Ottoman, the Arab or the Mughal Empire - but simply that the ethno-nationalism that we so very fondly evoke every now and then and claim such and such an empire as ours because they were Turks or Arabs or some other nationality would be historically fallacious because Suleiman the Magnificent, Saladin or Umar bin Khattab or even Akbar, would have thought us mad if we had talked to them about present nationalism and how each of us claim these great man exclusively as our own simply because one of them is a Turk, the other a Kurd, one an Arab and the last a Central Asian/Indian.
Lastly, my friend, I'm afraid that I'd still not get through because I've probably muddled up the whole post because its hardly well articulated, so in that case, I think I'd let Iqbal give it a try :
(Bang-e-Dra-102) Wataniyat (وطنیت
Patriotism
Wataniat
(Yani Watan Bahesiat Aik Siasi Tasawwur Ke)
NATIONALISM
(As a Political Concept)
Iss Dour Mein Mai Aur Hai, Jaam Aur Hai Jam Aur
Saqi Ne Bina Ki Rawish-e-Lutf-o-Sitam Aur
In this age the wine, the cup, even Jam is different
The cup‐bearer started different ways of grace and tyranny
Muslim Ne Bhi Tameer Kiya Apna Haram Aur
Tehzeeb Ke Azar Ne Tarshawaye Sanam Aur
The Muslim also constructed a different harem of his own
The Azar of civilization made different idols of his own
In Taza Khudaon Mein Bara Sub Se Watan Hai
Jo Pairhan Iss Ka Hai, Woh Mazhab Ka Kafan Hai
Country, is the biggest among these new gods!
What is its shirt is the shroud of Deen (Religion)
Ye But Ke Tarashida-e-Tehzeeb-e-Nawi Hai
Gharatgar-e-Kashana-e-Deen-e-Nabwi Hai
This idol which is the product of the new civilization
Is the plunderer of the structure of the Holy Prophet’s Deen (Religion)
Bazu Tera Touheed Ki Quwwat Se Qawi Hai
Islam Tera Dais Hai, Tu Mustafavi Hai
Your arm is enforced with the strength of the Divine Unity
You are the followers of Mustafa, your country is Islam
Nazzara-e-Dairina Zamane Ko Dikha De
Ae Mustafavi Khak Mein Iss Butt Ko Mila De!
You should show the old panorama to the world
O Mustafaa’s follower! You should destroy this idol
Ho Qaid-e-Maqami To Nateeja Hai Tabahi
Reh Behar Mein Azad-e-Watan Soorat-e-Mahi
The limitation to country results in destruction
Live like the fish in the ocean free from country
Hai Tark-e-Watan Sunnat-e-Mehboob (S.A.W.)-e-Elahi
De Tu Bhi Nabuwwat Ki Sadaqat Pe Gawahi
Renouncing the country is the way of the God’s Beloved (PBUH)
You should also testify to the Prophethood’s Truth by similar action
Guftar-e-Siasat Mein Watan Aur Hi Kuch Hai
Irshad-e-Nabuwwat Mein Watan Aur Hi Kuch Hai
In political parlance country is something different
In Prophet’s command country is something different
Aqwam-e-Jahan Mein Hai Raqabat To Issi Se
Taskheer Hai Maqsood-e-Tajarat To Issi Se
The antagonism among world’s nations is created by this alone
Subjugation as the goal of commerce is created by this alone
Khali Hai Sadaqat Se Siasat To Issi Se
Kamzor Ka Ghar Hota Hai Gharat To Issi Se
Politics have become bereft of sincerity is by this alone
The destruction of the home of the weak is by this alone
Aqwam Mein Makhlooq-e-Khuda Batti Hai Iss Se
Qoumiat-e-Islam Ki Jar Katti Hai Iss Se
God’s creation is unjustly divided among nations by it
The Islamic concept of nationality is uprooted by it
P.S Iqbal isn't in any way anti-country, as some might misconstrue it to be, but rather that our countries are our homes and we should love them and be proud of it, but not to the extent that we become fascistic and walk about with such a stiff rod up our a**es because we're somehow better than others or have a deeper history than others. Also as Muslims we should stick together.
A good example of what Iqbal is saying is the United States. A truly egalitarian, plural and liberal society as envisioned by our fore-fathers - thats what an Islamic concept of country is. And the same United States that goes about f**king other nations simply because its in their national interests - thats what nationalism in political parlance is.
P.P.S The Iqbal bit was supposed to be an answer to an earlier bit and not necessarily yours. a
