Ilhan Niaz's much anticipated first book, An Inquiry into the Culture of Power of the Subcontinent, was released on January 10, 2007 in Pakistan and is now available online at Saeed Book Bank. Reviews will be transcribed or linked to as they appear. This is from the back cover:

"One of Ilhan Niaz's purposes in undertaking a masterly survey of the sub-continental state in its Harappan, Maurya, Gupta, Turkic, Timurid, and British incarnations is to discover how the lessons learnt from it can be applied to the sovereign states of India and Pakistan. Beginning with an essentialist view that the basic functions of the state are the maintenance of order and collection of taxes, he traces the rist and fall of empires in terms of the quality and authenticity of continental bureaucracies. This immensely readable book challenges the reader at every step to decide for himself if the parameters established by Ilhan Niaz for his inquiry are comprehensive enough. In his grand narrative that flows like the great rivers of the land that he studies, he is aware of the pitfalls of historical determinism. He has to continue his quest for truth by assessing the success and failure of the modern state to become an instrument of transforming human societies in an era where globalization of economy and technology make increasing inroads into its autonomy. The discerning reader will certainly share his intellectual journey in the years to come."

Tanvir Ahmad Khan
Former Foreign Secretary

[Last updated: 13 February, 2007]