ABSTRACT

In Pakistan, the distribution of power, and access to power, has been

shaped by historical trends extending from the period of British colonial

rule, prior to independence in 1947. To some extent, even earlier transi-

tions, during the late Mughal Empire, impacted on the contours of power

in contemporary Pakistan. The role of religion and religious forces in pro-

cesses of historical change, and their relationship to power and political

legitimacy, is critical for understanding the alignments and interactions of

state and society in Pakistan. Religious discourse, especially within the Islamic tradition, has at times significantly influenced the articulation of

power and authority. However, religion was by no means the sole, or even

necessarily the most critical, arbiter of the course of historical developments

in this region. It is important to show when and how this has occurred,

as well as the nature of its impact on social and political structures. This

chapter will, therefore, attempt to decipher the role of religious ideas,

attitudes and identities, within the wider context of the underlying pro-

cesses and mentalities that have shaped the political environment in this region in recent decades.