Constructing the ‘Other’: Pakistani Nationalist Historians’ Perspective on Hinduism

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16911708

Abstract

For centuries, Muslims and Hindus coexisted in South Asia with relative harmony, experiencing only occasional and minor disputes. However, during the colonial period, the divide between the two communities deepened significantly, largely as a result of British policies that encouraged communal differentiation. This article, employing a descriptive and axiological research method, examines the emergence of nationalist Muslim historiography in South Asia, particularly its anti-Hindu tendencies and its broader critique of Hinduism. It further explores the key characteristics of Pakistani nationalist historiography, investigating why Muslim historians adopted such a nationalist framework and what consequences this approach has had for historical narratives, identity formation, and intercommunal relations. By providing a critical and detailed analysis, this study represents a pioneering attempt to rigorously assess the ideological foundations and implications of nationalist Muslim historiography in Pakistan. This research is an endeavor to seek the answer of broader question that, how did colonial policies and subsequent nationalist agendas shape the development of Muslim historiography in South Asia, and what impact did this have on the portrayal of Hinduism and Hindu-Muslim relations?

Keywords: Nationalist, Hindu, Muslim, Sufi, Historians, Approach.