Traces the origin and history of Pakistan and describes the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire, rule by the British Raj, the birth of Islamic Nationalism, and the years of war and military rule.

Formative phase: Ancient origins / Craig Baxter -- Rise and fall of the Great Mughal Empire / Stanley Wolpert -- Muslims under the British Raj / Ian Stephens -- Birth of Islamic Nationalism / Percival Spear -- Call for a Muslim nation / Mohammed Ali Jinnah -- Genesis of Pakistan / Rafi Raza -- Birth and beginnings of a nation: New nation in disarray: Pakistan, 1947-1949 / Ian Talbot -- Refugee crisis / Chaudhri Muhammad Ali -- Constitutional framework for an Islamic nation / Liaquat Ali Khan -- Pakistan's first ten years lacked democracy / Mazhar Ali Khan -- Declaration of Martial Law / Ayub Khan -- Ayub Khan's unbenevolent dictatorship / David Loshak -- Turbulent times: War of secession and military rule: Yahya Khan Interlude / Omar Noman -- Civil War, the Indo-Pakistan War, and the birth of Bangladesh / Keesing's Research Report -- Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Era / Shahid Javed Burki -- Islamization under General Zia / Mohammad Waseem -- Pakistan's military presidents: Comparative analysis / Shahid Javed Burki -- Democracy, disillusionment, and return of military rule: New hope for democracy / Benazir Bhutto -- Uncertain transition to democracy under Bhutto and Sharif / Saeed Shafqat -- Return to martial rule under general Musharraf / Rory Mccarthy -- Current challenges: Pakistan's economic and social agenda for the Twenty-First Century / Akbar Ahmed -- Conforming the legacies of the Afghan-Soviet War: Radical Islam, sectarian violence, and terrorism / Mandavi Mehta and Teresita C. Schaeffer -- Threat of Nuclear War with India over Kashmir / Sharif Shuja -- Pakistan allies with the United States in the War on Terrorism / Perez Mascara -- Influence of religious parties on Pakistan's government / Economists.