Story of Pakistan | The Beginning (1857 – 1905) | Narrated by Shan | Episode 1 | ISPR

Assalam-u-Alaikum, Pakistan Broadcasting Service, we are living from Lahore. At 12 at night between 13 and 14 August of the years 1947… the dawn of independent Morning This subcontinent, from 1857 to 1947, created a history whose example cannot be found in the world. You will get to know in “Story of Pakistan” that how Muslims changed the map of the world in a mere 90 years. Who were the Muslims Leaders who played their nuclear role in this immortal story? And you will get to know those small yet vital stories that were not heard before. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s effort to wake Muslims up, the creation of the Muslim League, ascension and decline of Hindu-Muslim Unity, Iqbal’s unique and precious dream, and Muhammad Ali’s journey and Muhammad Ali’s journey from Jinnah to Quaid-e-Azam, Touching scenes in Lahore, and then… the dawn of the morning of Independence. You will get to know all that in this series. Along with this, a seventh special episode will be released based solely on Kashmir Because the story of Pakistan is not complete without the story of Kashmir as Pakistan is not complete without Kashmir. The question is that when and where did the story of Pakistan started and which important characters have been part of this story. I believe that the beginning of Pakistan’s story was in 1857. The two important characters of this era of this story were Bahadur Shah Zafar and Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. But before moving forward, I am going to tell you something… very tragic, which is part of this story. The last Mughal emperor… when he was arrested by the East India Company, the next day he was brought to the breakfast table. And that man who was an emperor a night ago… when a tray was brought in front of him, Bahadur Shah Zafar screamed after looking at the tray. And many other similar screams were heard from every street of India. What was in that tray and why after a few years, whenever Muslims of the Sub-continent cooked food, they would separate a fist of flour. What was the purpose of that flour? You will get to know all this at the end of this episode. After 1857, the British government had taken control of publically over India. The revolt against the British began in the military first. All the armed men who rebelled had been killed. They were hanged and those who had tried to run away had been shot instantly without any court-martial. When someone informed them this person or that person was involved… they fell short of ropes and trees. There are paintings of that time that indicate that there was no single place left where dead bodies were not found. This barbaric demonstration was done to create a fear of the British government so that people would not speak against the government ever again. So now we know how brutal was British Raj. And why Sir Syed Ahmed Khan felt that he has to do something for his fellow Muslims. If Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had not worked for all that he had done, then there would have been no Pakistan today. In the same era, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had become a tower of light for Muslims. He used to demand from the British to give Muslim jobs in government and representation. If not then they will once again get reasons for rebellion. They will not be loyal to you. Give them your right and do justice. Before that, there is not even a concept that Muslims are being treated unfairly politically and economically. Or not even a realization that they are not being treated as parity in society. Even to say this, there was a need for thought and vision and he was the one who gave us this thought. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan wrote a magazine called “Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind”. He thought that Muslims are being completely excluded from the power structure. And if a Muslim is not in the power structure, he will be left behind. And Hindu is moving forward. He said that it is not possible without education. He created a campaign, but the basis of Muhammaden Educational Conference. He spread the message in every nook and corner of India that Muslims should make educational institutions and gain an education so that they can develop. I was always curious that All India congress had been established in 1885 but then why did Sir Syed stop Muslims from participating in politics. Now I understand why Sir Syed did not want Muslims to come in politics. Because he wanted them to learn the rule of the game. A British name O.H Hume founded the Congress. When he created the party, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan told Muslims to not join the party. That Indian National Congress is not trying to solve the problems of all the Sub-continent. And then Sir Syed Ahmed Khan told Muslims to completely devote themselves towards gaining education instead of participating in politics. He founded the Muslim Scientific Society The reason for that was to translate the western scientific research in Urdu for Muslims. So the party had been created in 1906, but a long journey was left ahead. The basic idea of the whole movement was to understand how Muslims can reassure and restore their identity and to end their subjugation, realize all this, and come out of your self-isolation as well. The partition of Bengal was a deciding factor for Muslims to understand that congress is not sincere for the Muslims of India. We will talk about this in the next episode and along with this, we will tell you that who was Bee Amma. And how after the first world war, the British Crown deceived the Muslims of the Subcontinent. And who was that adolescent who joined All India Muslim League? But before leaving, let’s listen to the story hidden inside the main story about which I had talked at the beginning of the episode. When Bahadur Shah Zafar was arrested, he was accompanied by three princes. And in the morning, heads of princes and princesses were presented in the tray covered with clothes similar to the way they used to present the breakfast in-tray to the British. Only to hurt the emperor. A trail was run against him for 5-6 months claiming that the emperor – owner of the country - had betrayed the country and its people. As a result, he was given a life sentence and was exiled. Did Sir Syed educate the Muslims so easily? No. When a Madrissa was founded in Ghazi Kun, they needed funds for it. He said to the leaders who had allied with him that Muslim families don’t have money to be donated. He suggested that cooking the three meals of the day, the women of the house should separate a fist of flour on daily basis. And every month, sir Syed Ahmed Khan himself would go to every household to collect that flour. We see that he would collect that flour and then sell it to get money in return, which would then be used for the expenses of the school.