Cultural Perspectives of Pakistan - Essay Example

Running Head: Pakistan Cultural Perspectives from another Country - Pakistan of Cultural Perspectives from another Country - Pakistan Pakistan's is officially recognized as the "Islamic republic of Pakistan". The sixth most populated country in the world has been influenced by the Turks, Arabs, Baloch, Afghans, Mongols, Persians, Dravidians, Parthians Kushans, Macedonians, Greeks, , Indo-Aryans, White Huns, and Scythians.All these races have settled over the region at one time or another. The river Indus flows in this country and this river has witnessed sseveral ancient cultures and several of the earliest civilizations such as Mehrgrah, Mohenjodaro, and Harrapa. Not only that but historic routes intertwine in and out of his region. In fact one of the most popular routes this country is home to is the Silk Road. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan) The second most populous Muslim country was formed on the 14th of August 1947. Before Pakistan gained independence, the country was under the rule of the British Empire. The British entered the Subcontinent as the British East India Company, a private trading company, when the Mughals had Jehangir as an Emperor. Slowly and gradually the huge Mughal Empire began to crumble because the emperors and nobles alike had grown so accustomed to living a life of pure pleasure with the wealth their ancestors had accumulated. Many historians blame Aurangzeb, the Emperor Shah Jehan's son for sowing the seeds of decline, as it was after he started ruling that the kingdom began to fall apart. Aurangzeb couldn't rule very well, his administration left a lot to be desired. The nobles were often power hungry and the consequence of the lack of supervision was that they became highly powerful at court and the emperors couldn't control them. The empire was huge and when rebellions broke out it took the emperor months to take decisive decision to end them. The cost of maintaining a huge army to continuously quell these rebellions and that wasn't the only cost. When an emperor died, the succession dispute resulted in a waste of huge sums of money. When riddled with such weaknesses it wasn't surprising that the strength of the British won out in the end. The British influence had grown slowly in India. In the beginning The East India Company only had a few bases along the coast of the Subcontinent but then they started expanding and spread out to Bombay (Mumbai), Calcutta (Kolkata) and Madras (Chennai). The EIC were good at fighting and protected India from other European countries such as France, Portugal and Denmark. After the battle of Plassey and the exploitation of Bengal the British government decided that the misgovernment of India had to be stopped. So they passed the India Act in 1784 in which the British government took direct control of Indian possessions and appointed a Governor-General. From then on the British influence could be seen everywhere. However things weren't made a 100% percent official until the 1857 War of Independence (as the Indians called it) or the 1857 Mutiny (as the British called it). The Indians, the Indian army in particular rose in revolt against the British and they were crushed. The British government took complete control of India and a member of the British cabinet, the Secretary of State for India. The Governor -General was now called Viceroy and in 1877 the British Queen Victoria became the Empress of India. Gradually the Muslims in India began to become aware of their individuality and cultural identity. They were of the opinion that they could not live together with the Hindus and under the regime of the British. They wanted an independent country of their own. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was one of the earliest pioneers of the independence movement. His "Two-Nation-Theory" was later supported by people like Allama Muhammed Iqbal and Chaudri Rehmat Ali Kahn. Both Allama Muhammed Iqbal and Chaudri Rehmat Ali Kahn had studied in Britain and when they came back they both believed that a separate homeland should be established for the Muslims. (Chaudri Rehmat Ali was also the man who coined the phrase Pakistan). Next to fall in line was Quaid-e-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah, who is commonly known in Pakistan as the Founder of Pakistan. When Pakistan was formed it had to face much diversity and go through a variety of problems such as water shortage to fighting to gain land promised to the country to refugee and military crisis. Pakistan was formed on the basis on religion. The Muslims wanted a land where they would be free to practice their religion with out any discrimination and at present about 97% of the population is Muslim. (http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/islam/countries/bl_PakistanIndex.htm) Religion is the center of the culture Pakistan and so most of the festivals celebrated in Pakistan are primarily religious festivals but these too are celebrated with great zeal. Shab-e-Barat, Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha are all religious festivals. Shah-e-Barat us celebrated in the 8th Islamic month (the Islamic calendar is different) and fire works, and the exchanging of sweet dishes and visits to family and friends is common. Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated in the 10th Islamic month after a month of fasting. This particular festival is subject to the moon. Special prayers are offered at sunrise and sweet dishes and visits to family and friends are also exchanged. Eid-ul-Azha is the religious festival celebrated in the 12th Islamic month and it is celebrated in honor of the sacrifice offered by the prophet Abraham. On this festival collective prayers are offered after sun set and what sets this festival aside from others is that goats, sheep, cows or camel (livestock in general) are sacrificed and the meat is then distributed amongst friends, family and the poor. Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha are celebrated for three consecutive days are the government issues public holidays for those three days. Eid-ul-Milad-Nabi is another religious festival which is celebrated in the 3rd Islamic month. It celebrates the birth Anniversary of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (P.B.U.H). Pakistan is predominately a country which deals with agriculture and livestock, so it makes sense that there are festivals commemorate this too. Throughout the country there are galas in honor of the harvest season and shows for the livestock. Each area in the country has its own way of doing this. For instance, at Dera Ismail Khan in the center of the country, there is the horse and cattle show. This carnival is made up of local games, folk dances, music, cattle races and exhibition of local handicrafts and is held at the end of March till the first week of April.On the other hand the Lok Mela is held at the end of October for one week at Islamabad. At this folk festival folk music, music contests, craftsmen atwork, songs, folk dances, exhibition and sale of handicrafts is in abundance. "The festival presents a unique opportunity to watch the culture and craft of the whole country at one place." (http://www.travel-culture.com/festivals.shtml) The women of Pakistan tend to be more on the traditional side. The majority of them wear "Shalwar Kameez". This can best be described as comprising of a tunic worn over something which resembles baggy pants accompanied with a "Duppatta". This is something like a shawl. The men also wear Shalwar Kameez but without the duppatta. The Shalwar Kameez is Pakistan's national dress. However while everyone does wear this outfit, everyone in Pakistan is not clad in Shalwar Kameez all the time. Pakistan cuisine has great diversity from province to province. For instance in Sindh and lower Punjab the food is very spicy and meat plays a pivotal part of most of the dishes, but in the northern regions the spice content of the food is considerably low and the here bread plays a major role. The people in the north are very fond of Khewa which is served in tiny glasses after every meal. It is flavored tea and because it is the drunk in Peshawar it is commonly called "Peshawar Chai". Foods such as Korma which is gravy with chicken, Haleem which is a mixture of lentils with meat, and Chiken tikka which is bar-b-qued chicked with spices, Biryani which is a saffron rice pillaf with meat and Pallo which is non spicy rice pillaf are amongst the most popoular and loved dishes. Pakistan's bigger cities such as Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad are known for their diveristy in cusine. In citites such as those, the international cuisine is also very widely available - Ranging from Continental to Oriental. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Pakistan ) Initially, Pakistan's exports mainly consisted of primary commodities. But as the country's industry began to flourish processed goods and manufactured goods started entering the market. In 1974 primary goods accounted for 48% of the goods that were exported, but by 2001 the percentage of primary goods had dropped drastically to just 11%. While manufactured goods accounted for 72% of the total percentage of the goods exported. The total value of exports has risen from around $ 234 million in 1974 to $ 12,271 million in 2001. (Sethi 2004) Pakistani exports can be classified into two categories: Primary commodities such as raw cotton, fruits, vegetables and leather Processed goods such as cotton yarn Manufactured goods such as ready made garments, carpets, surgical instruments, leather products and bedding. Pakistan has an extremely narrow export base, the five basic categories it exports are cotton, leather, rice, synthetic textiles and sport goods. These items made up over 80% of the total exports in 2001. In addition many of Pakistan's export item's are concentrated in relatively low value products from cottage industries and small scale industries as compared to high- value goods such as electronics and machine. Such a high degree of dependence on a few select items has led to instability in export earnings, for example a poor cotton crop seriously affects total export earnings as cotton is Pakistan's main cash crop. This has occurred several times in the past. Pakistan's exports do not play a vital role in the world market, they make up only about 0.10% of the world's exports. While Pakistan may not be its best in more general terms but when it comes to specific items such as carpets and rugs, Pakistan is doing exceedingly well. It exports about 15.31% of the world's share of carpets and rugs. In the international market Pakistan's share of exports as far as textile and clothing is concerned is 2.16% and 2.13% as far as leather and leather products are concerned. The fish caught and products made from them make up 0.41% of the world's market. Pakistan imports quite a large number of things from other countries; they range from products such as food to machinery and metals to textiles. These goods can be classified into three categories: Capital goods Raw Material (this includes raw material for capital goods and raw material for consumer goods). Consumer goods. In the beginning Pakistan primarily imported consumer goods but with industrialization there was a major difference in the products being imported, in 1974 consumer goods were 25% of the total goods being imported and capital and raw goods were 77% of the total goods being imported. In 2001 the consumer goods made up only 14% of the total goods being imported and capital goods and raw material made up 86% of the goods being imported. Total value of imported goods has increased from around $477 million in 1974 to around $ 14,272 million in 2001. The reason for the extreme change in figures is Pakistan's ever growing population, industrialization and progressively more and more uncomplimentary exchange rates. Pakistan imports goods from over a hundred countries but around 47.1% of the imports come from seven countries. These countries are: The United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Japan, Malaysia, Germany and the UK. Unfortunately the exports and imports have been functioning in such a fashion that Pakistan now has a negative balance of trade. There is still an agricultural influence on Pakistan's economy but it is not as severe as it used to be, currently agriculture makes up for only 20% of the Gross Domestic Product. The budding service sector makes up about 53% of the Gross Domestic Product and the wholesale and retail trade makes up about 30% of the service sector. Pakistan's chief industries on the rise seem to be the telecom industry along with the software industry. This could be attributed to the outsourcing currently going on. Other industries doing well in Pakistan are the automotives industry, the textile industry, the cement industry, the fertilizer industry, the steel industry and the ship building industry. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan ) Pakistan has been an ally of the US throughout its war on terrorism. However Pakistan's own problems at home have raised barriers in helping the US completely. These tribulations include "nuclear proliferation, military domination over civilians, weak systems for justice provision, internal threats from terrorism and sectarian violence, as well as lingering doubts over Pakistan's ability to permanently abandon the use of militants in Indian-administered Kashmir."(Fair, 2005) America is helping Pakistan to overcome these hurdles. It has promised to help Pakistan with a sum of $ 3 billion which will be given over a period of five years. This money will be divided up for both military and economic assistance. The United States of America has also contributed a $100 million for educational purposes; this will also take place over a five year period. However this money is not given to the Government of Pakistan, the USAID is handling the program. While the program is nation wide, the efforts are going to be focused on Sindh and Balouchistan. (http://www.usip.org/congress/testimony/2005/0630_fair.html ) References About. (1994). Agnosticism/Atheism. About Inc. http://atheism.about.com/library/FA.Qs/islam/countries/bl_PakistanIndex.htm Accessed 13 February, 2007 Fair, Christine. (2005). The United States and Pakistan: Navigating a Complex Relationship. The United States Institute of Peace. http://www.usip.org/congress/testimony/2005/0630_fair.html Accessed 13 February, 2007 Kelly, Nigel. (2004).The History and Culture of Pakistan. London. Peak Publishing Travel and Culture. (1997). Festivals in Pakistan. Travles and Culture Services. http://www.travel-culture.com/festivals.shtml Accessed 13 February, 2007 Sethi, N. Huma. (2004). The Environment of Pakistan: Pakistan Studies. London. Peak Publishing. Wikipedia, The free encyclopedia, 2006. "Cuisine of Pakistan". Wikipedia, The free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Pakistan Accessed 13 February, 2007 Wikipedia, The free encyclopedia, 2006. "Pakistan". Wikipedia, The free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan Accessed 13 February, 2007 Read More