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.