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Pakistan Studies flashcards

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Topic 1: Paper 1 – The History and Culture of Pakistan

Which reformers before 1857 show that Muslim consciousness predated British policy?: Shah Waliullah (1703–62), who translated the Qur’an into Persian and worked to unite Muslims around scripture, and Syed Ahmad Barelvi, who led the Jihad movement in the north-west.
What caused the War of Independence of 1857?: The Doctrine of Lapse and other British annexations, the greased-cartridges controversy, resentment at missionary activity, and wider economic distress.
What were the consequences of 1857 for Muslims?: Direct Crown rule replaced the East India Company, the Mughal emperor was deposed, and Muslims were blamed disproportionately and excluded from government service and education.
Why was Sir Syed Ahmad Khan important?: After 1857 he argued for reconciliation with British rule and modern education. He founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh (1875), which produced an educated Muslim professional class, including future Muslim League leaders.
What is the Two Nation Theory?: Sir Syed’s idea that Hindus and Muslims were distinct nations in religion, culture, law and history. It became the intellectual foundation of the Pakistan Movement.
Why did Sir Syed oppose Muslim membership of Congress?: He argued that Muslims would be permanently outvoted by the Hindu majority within it.
Give the key dates of the Pakistan Movement, 1906–47: 1906 Muslim League founded. 1909 Morley–Minto Reforms (separate electorates). 1930 Allahabad Address. 1933 Rahmat Ali coins “Pakistan”. 1940 Lahore Resolution. 1947 independence and the Radcliffe Award.
Exam trap: who coined the name “Pakistan”?: Chaudhry Rahmat Ali, in 1933. Allama Iqbal proposed a north-western Muslim state in his Allahabad Address (1930) but did not coin the name.
What did the Lahore Resolution (1940) demand?: Separate, independent Muslim state (or states) in the north-western and eastern zones of British India.
Why is it wrong to say Jinnah always wanted partition?: He began as an “ambassador of Hindu–Muslim unity”. Congress provincial rule in 1937–39 and the failure of constitutional guarantees moved him to lead the demand for a separate state.
What problems did Pakistan face at independence in 1947?: Millions of refugees, the delayed division of financial and military assets, the lack of a capital and trained civil servants, almost no industry, and the disputed accession of Kashmir.
When did Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan die?: Jinnah died on 11 September 1948. Liaquat Ali Khan, the first prime minister, was assassinated in Rawalpindi in October 1951.
When did Pakistan adopt its constitutions?: 1956 (Pakistan became an Islamic Republic), 1962 (under Ayub Khan) and 1973 (under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto), which is still in force.
How did East Pakistan become Bangladesh?: After the Awami League won the 1970 election but power was not transferred, civil war and war with India followed, and Bangladesh became independent in December 1971.
Name Pakistan’s periods of military rule: Ayub Khan (1958–69) and Yahya Khan (1969–71); Zia-ul-Haq (1977–88); Pervez Musharraf (1999–2008).
What did the 18th Amendment (2010) do?: It restored parliamentary government by removing the president’s power to dissolve the National Assembly, and devolved many powers to the provinces.
Why was the 2013 general election significant?: It was the first time one elected civilian government completed its term and handed power to another through an election.
What is CPEC?: The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, launched in 2015: Chinese-funded roads, railways, power stations and the development of Gwadar port, linking western China to the Arabian Sea.
How did Imran Khan’s time as prime minister end?: He became prime minister in 2018 and was removed by a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly in April 2022.
Who brought Muslim rule to Sindh, and when?: Muhammad bin Qasim, an Umayyad general, who conquered Sindh in 711–712.
Who was Mahmud of Ghazni?: Ruler of Ghazni who led repeated raids into northern India from about 1000 to 1027, including the sack of Somnath (1025), and made Lahore part of his empire.
How did the Delhi Sultanate begin?: Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan at the Second Battle of Tarain (1192). After Ghori’s death his general Qutb-ud-din Aibak became the first Sultan of Delhi in 1206.
How did Sufis help spread Islam in the subcontinent?: Through preaching, personal example, care for the poor and open shrines and lodges (khanqahs). Examples: Ali Hujwiri (Data Ganj Bakhsh) in Lahore and Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.
Who was Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi?: A Naqshbandi scholar known as Mujaddid Alf Sani (“reviver of the second millennium”), who opposed Akbar’s religious innovations and called for a return to orthodox practice.
How did the Delhi Sultanate end?: Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last Lodi sultan, at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, founding the Mughal Empire.
What happened at Balakot in 1831?: Syed Ahmad Barelvi and Shah Ismail were killed fighting Sikh forces, ending the Jihad movement’s campaign in the north-west.
How did Babur found the Mughal Empire?: He defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, using field artillery and cavalry tactics.
What happened to Humayun’s rule?: He was driven out by Sher Shah Suri in 1540 and regained the throne in 1555, shortly before his death.
How did Akbar (1556–1605) strengthen Mughal rule?: The mansabdari system of ranked officers, a reformed land revenue system, alliances with Rajput rulers, and a policy of religious tolerance (sulh-i-kul), including abolishing the jizya.
What was Din-i-Ilahi?: A set of religious ideas promoted by Akbar from 1582, drawing on several faiths. It had few followers and was criticised by orthodox scholars.
Which buildings are associated with Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb?: Shah Jahan: the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore. Aurangzeb: the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.
Why is Aurangzeb’s reign (1658–1707) linked to Mughal decline?: Long, costly wars in the Deccan, rebellions by the Marathas and others, and policies such as reimposing the jizya (1679) that alienated many non-Muslim subjects.
What weakened the Mughal Empire in the 18th century?: Weak successors and wars of succession, the rise of the Marathas and Sikhs, Nadir Shah’s sack of Delhi (1739), and the expansion of the East India Company after Plassey (1757).
Who was the last Mughal emperor?: Bahadur Shah Zafar, deposed and exiled to Rangoon by the British after 1857.

Topic 2: Paper 2 – The Human and Physical Geography of Pakistan

What should a strong answer on a landform, hazard or resource include?: What it is, the physical process that causes it, and the human impact that follows.
What is the monsoon, and when does it bring rain to Pakistan?: A seasonal wind system from the south-west in summer that brings the bulk of Pakistan’s annual rainfall.
What is a western disturbance?: A winter weather system originating over the Mediterranean and Caspian regions that brings rain and snow to northern and western Pakistan.
What is the difference between a flood plain and a delta?: A flood plain is the flat land beside a river that floods when the river overflows. A delta is a landform of deposited sediment where a river meets the sea, such as the Indus delta.
What is the difference between a renewable and a non-renewable resource?: A renewable resource is naturally replaced and will not run out, such as solar, wind or hydel power. A non-renewable resource is finite and will run out, such as coal, oil or natural gas.
Give an advantage and a disadvantage of hydel power in Pakistan: Advantage: abundant potential from Pakistan’s rivers and low running cost. Disadvantage: high construction cost and dependence on seasonal river flow.
Give an advantage and a disadvantage of natural gas in Pakistan: Advantage: a reliable, high-output supply. Disadvantage: reserves are finite and Pakistan becomes dependent on imports as domestic reserves decline.
Why does Pakistan suffer earthquakes?: It lies where the Indian Plate pushes northwards against the Eurasian Plate. The Kashmir earthquake of October 2005 is an example.
What does the specification require about natural resources, beyond location?: Their importance to economic development, such as export earnings, industrial inputs or employment.
Why is Pakistan’s population growing rapidly?: Birth rates remain fairly high while death rates have fallen because of better healthcare, vaccination and food supply.
What is the dependency ratio?: The number of dependants (the young and the elderly) compared with the number of people of working age.
Give push and pull factors for rural-to-urban migration in Pakistan: Push: few jobs and services in rural areas, small farms. Pull: jobs, schools and healthcare in cities such as Karachi and Lahore.
What are kharif and rabi crops?: Kharif: sown in summer (rice, cotton, sugar cane). Rabi: sown in winter (wheat).
What are the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors?: Primary: raw materials (farming, fishing, mining). Secondary: manufacturing. Tertiary: services such as trade, transport, banking, education and health.
What is Pakistan’s most important manufacturing industry?: Cotton textiles, which also earn the largest share of export income.
What is the informal sector?: Work that is not officially registered or taxed, such as street vending and small workshops. It provides many jobs in Pakistan’s cities but with low pay and little security.
What is globalisation?: The growing connection of the world’s economies and cultures through trade, investment, migration, transport and communication.
What are remittances, and why do they matter to Pakistan?: Money sent home by Pakistanis working abroad, for example in the Gulf states and the UK. They are a major source of foreign exchange and support many households.
What is the Karakoram Highway?: A road through the northern mountains linking Pakistan with China via the Khunjerab Pass.
Why is Gwadar port important?: It is a deep-sea port on the Balochistan coast, developed under CPEC, that can link western China and Central Asia to the Arabian Sea.
Why is it difficult to build transport links in northern and western Pakistan?: Steep mountains, landslides, snow and sparse population make roads and railways costly to build and maintain.
How have mobile phones and the internet changed Pakistan?: They have spread rapidly, supporting mobile banking, online business and access to information, though rural areas remain less well connected.
What is sustainable development?: Development that meets the needs of people today without damaging the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
How does climate change threaten Pakistan?: More intense heatwaves, floods and droughts, and melting glaciers in the north, which threaten water supply and food production.
What is a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF)?: A sudden flood when water held back by ice or loose rock at the edge of a glacial lake breaks through. Melting glaciers in northern Pakistan increase the risk.
What caused the 2022 floods in Pakistan?: Exceptionally heavy monsoon rain, together with glacial melt, flooded large parts of Sindh and Balochistan in particular, affecting millions of people.
How can Pakistan reduce the effects of deforestation?: Afforestation and tree-planting schemes, such as the Billion Tree Tsunami in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, protecting existing forests, and using alternatives to wood for fuel.
Why does Pakistan face water scarcity?: A fast-growing population, heavy use for irrigation with much lost through seepage, limited storage in dams that are silting up, and pollution of rivers and groundwater.

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Written for OxfordAQA International GCSE Pakistan Studies (9236), syllabus 9236 (Version 1.9).

Cards by Marlbridge Academic Team; 6 restate definitions from the 9236 revision notes. This deck has not yet been reviewed as a whole by a subject teacher. Report an error.

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