Mubarak Ali Khan

Mubarak Ali (; born 21 April 1941) is a Pakistani historian, activist and scholar. His main theme, in most of his books, has been that some history books written in Pakistan had been 'dictated' by the ruling class (the so-called 'Establishment in Pakistan') and, in his view, those history books represent 'perversion of facts'. A Marxist, Mubarak Ali maintains that history books should be written from the perspective of masses, not of rulers. Mubarak Ali received a M.A. degree in history with first class first position from Sindh University, Jamshoro in 1962. He was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of History at Sindh University Jamshoro in 1963. In 1972, he went to London, then Germany to pursue higher studies and in 1976, he attained a PhD degree (on the Mughal Period of India) at Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.

In 1999, while speaking at a seminar in Mumbai organised by the NGO Khoj, Mubarak Ali referred to fundamentalism's effects on historical scholarship in his country. He described how after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, ancient history was de-emphasized in Pakistan by some historians.

He has written a number of books and articles on Ind-Pakistani history, and has been widely acclaimed as an anti-establishment and anti-government thinker and historian. He stated in an interview that "No authentic history has yet been written about Pakistan and its independence. There is a lot of confusion among the so-called pro-Establishment historians and educationists. Whatever has been written so far is distortion of history and entirely unbalanced."

According to Mubarak Ali, the textbook reform in Pakistan began with the introduction of Pakistan Studies and Islamic studies by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1971, which became a compulsory subject in the national curriculum. In the 1980s, former military dictator Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, as part of a general drive towards Islamization, started the process of historical revisionism and exploited this initiative. "The Pakistani establishment taught their children right from the beginning that this state was built on the basis of religion – that's why they do not have tolerance for other religions and want to wipe out all of them."

Speaking at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan office in May 2009, Mubarak Ali said, "democracy in Pakistan had an imprint of martial laws and what we were witnessing today could at best be described as 'feudal democracy'. It is the third generation of feudals who are ruling Pakistan". Although Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) lost the elections, Ali argued that religiosity had grown in Pakistan to such an extent that "every political party in the National Assembly is an MMA and it is the assembly that approved Nizam-e-Adl regulation."

His 2009 comprehensive book in Urdu, Taareekh Ki Daryafat, is considered to be his most concise work. The first part of the book deals with heroism and society, historiography in the 20th century, how we should write history and his autobiography, while the second part covers a large number of topics. These interpretations highlight national controversies, for example about Mughal Muslims in India, the relationship between the Ottomans and the Mughals, religion and its political use, Islamic scholars and modernism, French revolution, Indus Civilization, imperialism and fundamentalism, history of coil and coffee, honor killings in Pakistan, forgetful men and the latest trends in historiography. Qadeem Hindustan (Ancient India), 2007 Achoot Logoun Kaa Adab (Literature of Untouchables) Co-written by Razi Abdi, Fiction House, Lahore, 1994 Bar-e Sagheer Mein Mulsmaan Muashrey kaa Almeya, Fiction House, Lahore, 7th Edition 2012 Niji Zindgi Ki Tarrekh (History of Private Life), Fiction House, Lahore 2012 Traikh Shinaasi, Fiction House, Lahore 2012 Tarikh Kay Badaltey Nazriaat, Fiction House, Lahore 2012 Tarikh aur Mazhabi Tehreekein, Fiction House, Lahore 2013 Akbar kaa Hindostan, translated by Dr. Mubarak Ali 2012 Europe kaa Arooj (Rise of Europe), Fiction House, Lahore 2012 Jadeed Taarikh (Modern History), Fiction House, Lahore Taarikh aur Tehqeeq (History and Research), Fiction House, Lahore Pather kaa Zamaanah (Stone Age), Fiction House, Lahore Kaansi Kaa Zammanah (Bronze Age), Fiction House, Lahore Lohey Kaa Zamanah (Iron Age), Fiction House, Lahore Tarikh or Aurat, Fiction House Pakistani Moashra, Fiction House Badalti Hui Tarikh, Fiction House Tarikh or Tehqeeq, Fiction House Sindh ki Tarikh Kia Hey, Fiction House Tarikh Shanasi, Fiction House Ulma or Siasat, Fiction House Quaid e Azam Kia Thay Kia Nahi Thay, Fiction house Sindh Ki Awaz, Fiction House Sindh Khamoshi Ki Awaz, Fiction house Sindh ki Samaji or Saqafti Tareekh, Fiction house Interviews or Tasuraat, Fiction House Lutfullah ki aab-biti, Fiction House Tarikh— 'Khana or Khaney Key Aadaab' , Fiction House Pakistan mein Marshal Law Ki Tareekh, Fiction House Ed.2014 Tahzeeb ki Kahani, Fiction House Hindustaan ki Tareekh, Fiction House Tareekh Ki Wapsi, Fiction House Ed.2014 Nationalism kya Hey??, Fiction House Ed.2014 Tareekh or Awam, Fiction House Ed.2014 Tareekh ki gawahi Edition 2015 Tareekh Fehmi, Edition 2015 Tareekh ki Talash, Fiction House 2003 (All books are available at Fiction House, Urdu Bazar, Karachi and Lahore, Pakistan)

Awards and recognition Faiz Ahmed Faiz Award – 1989 Hassam-ud-Din Rashidi Gold Medal Award by Sindh Graduate Association – 2002