Culture of Pakistan

In ancient times, Pakistan was a major cultural hub. Many cultural practices and great
monuments have been inherited from the time of the ancient rulers of the region. One of
the greatest cultural influences was that of the Persian Empire, of which Pakistan was a
part. In fact, the Pakistani satraps were at one time the richest and most productive of
the massive Persian Empire. Other key influences include the Afghan Empire, Mughal
Empire and later, the short lived but influential, the British Empire.

Pakistan has a cultural and ethnic background going back to the Indus Valley
Civilization, which existed from 2800–1800 B.C., and was remarkable for its ordered
cities, advanced sanitation, excellent roads, and uniquely structured society. Pakistan
has been invaded many times in the past, and has been occupied and settled by many
different peoples, each of whom have left their imprint on the current inhabitants of the
country. Some of the largest groups were the 'Aryans', Greeks, Scythians, Persians, White
Huns, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, Afghans, Buddhists and other Eurasian groups, up to and
including the British, who left in the late 1940s.

The region has formed a distinct cultural unit within the main cultural complex of South
Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia from the earliest times, and is analogous to
Turkey's position in Eurasia.[1] There are differences in culture among the different ethnic
groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs
differ from Islamic practices. Their cultural origins also reveal influences from far afield,
including Tibet, Nepal, India and eastern Afghanistan. All groups show varying degrees
of influence from Persia, Turkestan and Hellenistic Greece. Pakistan was the first region
of South Asia to receive the full impact of Islam and has developed a distinct Islamic
identity, historically different from areas further west.[1]


by:
Hamood Hamid
Haris Javed