История Пакистана XX век

Belokrenitsky Vyacheslav, Moskalenko Vladimir

History of Pakistan. The 20th Century

Еditor: Egorin Anatoly

Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences,

Москва, 2008, 576 p.

The present volume is one in the series of monographs on the contemporary history of the countries of the East (Asia and Northern Africa) brought out by the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences. The authors of the volume are well known Russian experts on Pakistan Prof. Dr. V.Ya. Belokrenitsky and Prof. Dr. V.N. Moskalenko. It can be stated without gross exaggeration that the study of Pakistan is one of the most developed fields in Russian orientology. The school was founded in the 1950s by Professors A.M. D’yakov, Yu.V. Gankovsky and L.R. Gordon-Polonskaya. The two latter scholars authored a book “History of Pakistan” which was published in 1961 in Russian and in 1968 in English and became an often quoted book for the works on Pakistan in its early years. The present book which has almost similar title is far larger in scope, differs from it ideologically and tries to meet the expectations of students and general public in line with the targets set before the authors of all other books in the abovementioned series. This book is the research of the history of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan during 60 years of its existence. The authors examine preconditions and direct reasons for the emergence of the state on confessional basis, general stages of its political and economic development, external policy and pattern of relations with the countries of the world, including Russia. Being founded on religious basis, Pakistan, to some extent, rejected the theory of an obligatory ethno-national foundation of modern states. It became one of a few (Ireland, Israel) sovereign countries that appeared on the world map in accordance with the idea of the state for the representatives of a certain religious community. Pakistan was the only one state that came into existence in this conformity in the Islamic World. World historiography and political science express interest to Pakistan because of its key geopolitical position in such regions like South, Central and West Asia and the role it plays in international politics. Among other factors attracting special attention to Pakistan, we can state its military-authoritarian political rule in contrast to India’s democratic system; continued for decades conflict with India about Kashmir; converting to nuclear state and, at last, the rise of radical islamisation in the country and the threats of terrorism to global and regional security connected with it. The book is written for the experts and readers interested in Asian countries problems. It can be used for the students of humanitarian institutes, etc.