Penguin set to release a new book on Mohammad Ali Jinnah this September, 2020 . The book is a study of an extraordinary individual and a natural-born leader whose mark on the history and politics of the Indian subcontinent is indelible – for good and bad. Unlike earlier works on Jinnah, which focus on high politics and the clash of individuals with the British, Ishtiaq Ahmed places the statesman in the thick web of ethno cultural, religious, ideological, economic and security linkages, within which the game of politics was played out.
The book traces the statesman’s journey from Indian nationalist to Muslim communitarian and from a Muslim nationalist to, finally, Pakistan’s all-powerful head of state. It talks about how the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity become the inflexible votary of the two-nation theory.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah has been both celebrated and reviled for his role in the Partition of India, and the controversies surrounding his actions have only increased in the seven decades and more since his death. Ishtiaq Ahmed places Jinnah’s actions under intense scrutiny to ascertain the Quaid-i-Azam’s successes and failures and the meaning and significance of his legacy. Using a wealth of contemporary records and archival material, Dr Ahmed traces Jinnah’s journey from Indian nationalist to Muslim communitarian and from a Muslim nationalist to, finally, Pakistan’s all-powerful head of state. How did the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity become the inflexible votary of the two-nation theory? Did Jinnah envision Pakistan as a theocratic state? What was his position on Gandhi and federalism? Asking these crucial questions against the backdrop of the turbulent struggle against colonialism, this book is a path-breaking examination of one of the most controversial figures of the twentieth century.
About the Author :
Ishtiaq Ahmed is professor emeritus of political science at Stockholm University and visiting professor, Government College University, Lahore. He is the author of several books including Pakistan: The Garrison State-Origins, Evolution, Consequences (1947-2011).
