The Library of Congress >> Global Gateway >> Portals to the World >> Pakistan

 

Portals to the World: Links to Electronic Resources from Around the World selected by Library of Congress Subject Experts

Selected Internet Resources

History : Pakistan

This pathfinder includes information about history in Pakistan.

Created and maintained by the
 Asian Division
Collections and Services Directorate

 


 

Asian historical architecture  (http://www.orientalarchitecture.com)
A comprehensive survey of Asia's architectural heritage. One can view over 5700 photos of 404 sites in fifteen countries, with extensive background information and innovative 'virtual tours.' The Pakistan content includes architectural images from Lahore and Taxila.

Bahauddin Zakariya University  (http://www.bzu.edu.pk/)
Bahauddin Zakaria University is one of Pakistan's major universities, with its own Royal Charter and a history of service and achievement dating back to 1975. It is located in the magnificent civic centre of Multan city. The university website has links to their administration, departments, hostels, library, news, media, transport, phone index, alumni, photo gallery, resumes, student's URLs, discussion group, admission, campus services, study and research.

Baluchi  (http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/ehrafe/cultureDescription.do?owc=AT02)
The Baluchi are predominantly Sunni Muslim, seminomadic pastoralists, whose homelands in south central Asia straddle the Iran-Pakistan border and include a small portion of southern Afghanistan. This file on the Baluchi consists of one article that contains information on the history, settlement patterns, economy, kinship, marriage, family, sociopolitical organization, and religion of the Baluchi cultural.

Bangladesh Liberation War 1971 photo gallery  (http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/hastings/430/)
This website contains a large collection of articles and photographs of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War from Pakistan. The photo categories include refugees, Mukti Bahini, exile government, intellectual martyrs, genocide, and the surrender. The articles deal with war crimes, opinion editorials, and a list of recognized war criminals. Pictures are from print publications, Dhaka 1971 (Bangla Academy, Dhaka, 1989) and Bangla namee desh (Ananda Publishers, Calcutta, 1990).

Daily Lesson Plan: A History of Conflict  (http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020102wednesday.html)
"A History of Conflict" is a social studies and current events lesson for grades 6-12. The students explore the issues surrounding the current conflict between India and Pakistan. Rachel McClain and Javaid Khan created this lesson, which is based on a January 2, 2002 "New York Times" article. The New York Times Co. and the Bank Street College of Education in New York City provide the lesson online as part of the Daily Lesson Plan section of the Learning Network.

Destination Pakistan  (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/pakistan/history)
Provides a timeline of Pakistan’s history including early civilizations, the Mughals, the British, the birth of Pakistan, the creation of Bangladesh, the Kashmir dispute, military misrule, domestic tensions, the big families, and Pakistan on the world stage.

History of Pakistan  (http://www.unigroup.com/PTIC/body_history.html)
A brief timeline of Pakistan’s initial history of the country’s formation. Includes information about the background of the Partition, the birth of the new state, the transfer of power, and the naming of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Hazara  (http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/ehrafe/cultureDescription.do?owc=AU05)
The Hazaras are one of the largest ethnic groups in Afghanistan, and also live in Iran and Pakistan. Most Hazaras are Shia Muslims. Their language is a dialect of Persian. This file contains one document, a cultural summary by Robert L. Canfield published in the Enyclopedia of World Cultures Supplement. This summary contains information on history, economy, settlements, kinship, marriage, family, sociopolitical organization, and religion.

India  (http://www.mrdowling.com/612india.html)
Information about the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas, the caste system, the history of India, and India today. Includes information about Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Iqbal, Poet-philosopher of Pakistan  (http://www.allamaiqbal.com/)
Presents a wide range of information on the prominent poet, philosopher, and statesman Iqbal. Features a biography of his life, discussions of his major literary works and political accomplishments, and the Iqbal Academy Pakistan, which aims to "promote and disseminate the study and understanding of the works and teachings of Allama Iqbal." Includes lists of publications, links to online resources, and select articles form the Academy's journal "Iqbal Review."

Islam in Pakistan  (http://www.pakistanlink.com/Religion.htm)
With about 97 percent of Pakistanis being Muslim, Pakistanlink.com includes a section for the official religion of Pakistan, Islam, and discusses many religious issues pertaining to Pakistan.

Israelites came to ancient Japan  (http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~magi9/isracame.htm)
Illustrated essay discussing evidence that one of the ten "lost tribes" of Israel settled in ancient Japan. Kubo sites as evidence various folk rituals and festivals and Shinto iconography (temple structures, dress, etc.) that resemble practices in ancient Israel. In other chapters, Kubo discusses lost tribes believed to have settled in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Burma and China.

Jammukashmir.net  (http://www.jammukashmir.net/)
Politically neutral Web site (formerly called "Kashmir 2000") from Britain providing news and information on Kashmir. Focuses on the politics, culture and history of the region. Includes maps, architectural visuals of the region, who's who of important Kashmiris, large bibliography of print sources, and list of writers and journalists knowledgable about Kashmir. Archive of news stories, essays, articles, and documents primarily from the last two years. Search function.

Japan-Pakistan Relations  (http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/pakistan/)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan provides a March 2002 fact sheet about international relations between Japan and Pakistan. Information about the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the number of Japanese nationals residing in Pakistan, trade between the two countries, Japanese investment in Pakistan, and Japanese economic assistance to Pakistan is available. The ministry provides a chronological timeline of the dates of official visits of diplomats and government officials from Japan and Pakistan to one another's countries.

Kashmir Matters by Moin Ansari  (http://www.islamawareness.net/Persecution/Kashmir/moin.html)
IslamAwareness.net presents the full text of an article entitled "Kashmir Matters," written by Moin Ansari. The article highlights the history of Kashmir, discussing the inhabitants, battles, and influences of religions and other nations on Kashmir. Ansari notes the current boundary disputes between India and Pakistan over regions in Kashmir and Jammu.

Kashmirnet.  (http://www.kashmir.co.uk/)
Presents information about the people, culture, and history of Kashmir. Recounts the background of the conflict in Kashmir, as well as human rights issues, key dates, and the cost of the conflict. Offers access to reports, editorials, press releases, and opinion polls. Notes that the conflict concerns the claims that both India and Pakistan make to the area.

Lahore High Court  (http://www.lhc.gov.pk/)
Dating from 1866, LHC is the oldest superior court in Pakistan. The site features official documents establishing the court, its juristiction, and rules of the court. Includes history, various acts and cases, and links to numerous legal resources.

Limited conflicts under the nuclear umbrella  (http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1450/)
This report examines the views of India and Pakistan on the significance of Pakistan's foray into the Kargil-Dras sector in a limited war that has come to be known as the Kargil conflict.

The Middle East North Africa Internet resource guide  (http://home.utah.edu/~jwr9311/MENA.html)
Provides links to Internet resources about the Middle East and North Africa.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan  (http://www.mofa.gov.pk/)
The official website of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry provides a history of the ministry, its organizational structure, an outline of international issues that the Pakistani government is concerned with, press releases and reports issued by the ministry. Documents are archived from January 2000. Links to UN documents concerning Kashmir and Afghanistan.

National Fund for Cultural Heritage  (http://www.heritage.gov.pk/)
Organization established in 1994 to promote the conservation and preservation of the archaeological, architectural, historical and cultural heritage of Pakistan. The site lists projects undertaken by the Fund and gives an overview of places of concern from various time periods. Includes discussions of the major historical eras of Pakistan, photo galleries, and lists of museums and libraries in Pakistan.

PakSearch.com - Database Company  (http://www.paksearch.com/)
Major database oriented towards economic and government affairs.

Pakistan  (http://www.interknowledge.com/pakistan/)
This country profile of Pakistan highlights the history, culture, people, and terrain of the country, as well as descriptions of places of interest to travelers. InterKnowledge Corporation provides the information as part of its Geographia Travel Services resource.

Pakistan People's Party (PPP).  (http://www.ppp.org.pk/)
Features the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), based in Islamabad, Pakistan. Highlights the creed of the PPP, including Islam as the faith, democracy for politics, and socialism for the economy. Discusses the history of PPP, human rights abuses, party leadership, and related news.

Pakistan Television  (http://ptv.com.pk/)
Website of the government-owned television network provides history and devlopment of broadcasting in Pakistan, programming material, popular music, and live webcast (in RealPlayer format). Programs and music archived for six months.

Pakistan Virtual Library.  (http://www.vl-site.org/pakistan/index.html)
Presents a collection of Pakistan resources, as part of the South Asia WWW Virtual Library. Includes resources on basic information of Pakistan, cultural associations, academic study and research, current news, business and commerce, education, languages, history and cultures, government, electoral politics, sports, travel, and popular arts. Highlights audio files of music and radio in Pakistan.

Pakistan to Canada: A Cultural Profiles Project.  (http://www.settlement.org/cp/english/pakistan/)
This cultural profile provides an overview of the life style and customs of Pakistan. There is information on such topics as the history, climate, education system, arts and literature, spirituality, family life, and holidays of the country. Citizenship and Immigration Canada, along with the AMNI Centre at the University of Toronto Faculty of Social Work, developed the Cultural Profiles Project as a way to help Canadian citizens welcome immigrants to Canada.

Pakistan, a country study  (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/pktoc.html)
Presents information on Pakistan, provided by the U.S. Library of Congress. Includes information on Pakistan's geography, economy, society, transportation, communications, government, politics, and national security. Discusses the country's history, ethnic groups, religion, international trade, land use, foreign affairs, and armed forces.

Pakistan-U.S. Relations.  (http://www.fas.org/man/crs/IB94041.pdf)
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) presents "Pakistan-U.S. Relations." This U.S. Library of Congress Congressional Research Service (CRS) report to the U.S. Congress was written by Barbara Leitch LePoer and released on November 1, 2001. The text is available in PDF format. LePoer discusses the history of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, which began as a security arrangement based on U.S. concern over Soviet expansion. Current U.S. concerns include nuclear weapons and missile proliferation, regional stability, and economic reform and development in Pakistan.

Pakistan: Country Profile  (http://www.worldinformation.com/index.php/pakistan)
World of Information presents a country profile of Pakistan. This profile provides information on such topics as the country's history, political structure, population, main languages, media, economy, agricultural production, and more. World of Information includes current foreign exchange rates for the Pakistani rupee.

Pamir peoples  (http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/ehrafe/cultureDescription.do?owc=RO03)
The Pamir peoples live in one of the highest mountain ranges in the world, the western Pamir Mountains in the Mountain-Badakhshan District of Tajikistan. The Pamirians are an ethnic subgroup of the Tajiks and include various named groups, some of whom live in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The dialects of these groups are mostly mutually unintelligible. Western Iranian Farsi of India and the Dari language of Afghanistan are lingua francas. Grain and legume agriculture and animal husbandry are the primary economic activities. The Pamirians belong to the Isma'ili sect of Islam. This file contains one document that was originally published in the Encyclopedia of World Cultures, 1994. It is a cultural summary of the Pamir peoples that includes information on their history, settlement patterns, economy, kinship, marriage, family, sociopolitical organization, and religion.

Punjab.gov.pk  (http://www.punjab.gov.pk/)
Presents brief overviews of the government of Punjab state (governor, civil secretariat, departments, etc.) and of the culture, economy and history of the state.

Sindh Story  (http://yangtze.cs.uiuc.edu/%7Ejamali/sindh/story/)
Nadeem Jamali offers the full text of the article entitled "The Sindh Story," written by K.R. Malkani. Sindh is a province of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Malkani discusses the history, culture, society, and other aspects of life in Sindh.

South Asian Media Net  (http://www.southasianmedia.net/)
This is an online news magazine and you can link to news stories organized by subject area and by country. The site is also a portal to South Asian Journal, a quarterly magazine of South Asian journalists and scholars.

State Bank of Pakistan Library  (http://www.sbp.org.pk/library)
Initiated to serve the information needs of the State Bank of Pakistan, the library is one of the most extensive in the country. Subject areas include economics, banking, finance, management, and commerce. Also has notable holdings in the regional languages of Pakistan, religion, history, and geography. Includes lists of periodicals (.pdf), list of selected articles from research journals, and list of new book aquisitions.

Timeline: Pakistan  (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1157960.stm)
Run by the British Broadcasting Corporation, this web page provides an outline of the history of Pakistan from 1906 until present.

Truth About Kashmir  (http://kashmir.com)
Offers information on the conflicts between Pakistan and India over Jammu and Kashmiry. Includes news articles, a history of the conflict, and weapons recovery details.

WWW.CIOLEK.COM  (http://www.ciolek.com/)
This site provides links to scholarly information on the Internet related to online research, teaching and publishing about Asia and related regions and topics.

Who Are the Taleban?  (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/144382.stm)
As part of its World: South Asia news section, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) presents the full text of the December 20, 2000 article entitled "Analysis: Who Are the Taleban?" The BBC provides an overview of the history and activities of the Taliban. The group consists of Afghans trained in religious schools in Pakistan along with former Islamic fighters who are known as mujahedin. The Taliban captured Kabul in September 1996 and took over the government of Afghanistan. The Taliban originally enjoyed a wave of popularity because of its efforts to get rid of corruption, restore peace, and improve economic conditions. The Taliban's introduction of fundamental Islamic law, as well as its members' attitudes towards the education of girls, medical care for women, and the employment of women caused resentment among ordinary Afghans.

 

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  Library of Congress >> Global Gateway >> Portals to the World >> Pakistan
  September 19, 2005

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