1861: Paper Currency Act, the British Crown gains monopoly of issuing paper currency .

Kech-Makran coastal region of Balochistan held immense importance during medieval times.It was an important link between the Middle East

Transplanting European ideas of treating the mentally ill into Indian society, however, proved difficult.

Moshin Naqvi had the power to give human emotions the deepness of an ocean through his words. His words would pierce right through the chest

Suppose you live in Pakistan and are affiliated with Pakistani literature in any way. In that case, you must have heard the name "Raja Gidh'

Reshama Ji | Daughter of the Desert

Al-Khwarizmi's work named after Sindh: Al-Khwarizmi was a Muslim scientist who lived in Baghdad, where he worked at the Dar-al-Hikmah (House of Wisdom) set up by Caliph al-Mamun. Amongst his other works, compiled a set of astronomical tables (Zīj), based on various Hindu and Greek sources. However, since his focus was primarily on Hindu sources, the book is called "Zij al-Sindhind" - The Astronomical Book of Sindh. Modern-day Sindh in Pakistan was the furthest point where Mus

The history of the churches in Pakistan is part of the history of Christianity in the Indian sub-continent. Their beginnings can be traced to the work of several Christian missions from the 16th century onwards. The Church of Pakistan is the result of the union of four denominations: Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran and Presbyterian (Scottish), which took place in 1970. Here are some of the country's most beautifully constructed cathedrals and churches. Saint Patrick's Cathedra

Art History from the Muslim World Xylography, or woodblock printing, moved westwards from China into the Islamic world as early as the eighth century. Arabic woodcut prints today only have been the subject of much scholarly research. This particular typology was often used exclusively for amulets and other religiously influenced artworks Here are some stunning xylographic prints and woodblocks from various regions of the Islamic World. An atique from the 1920's, a title page

Fal, and Falnamah's - a tradition lost Fal, a local form of cartomancy, has gradually been lost to the passage of time. Soothsayers and fortune tellers, sitting upon dusty footpaths, dressed in crisp, starched and ironed shalwar kameez, with their trusted old friend, a parrot as their companion, used to be heard calling out their wares. Should a customer walk up to them, the parrot would be directed to walk away. The fortune-teller would then shuffle the cards and hold them o

A lesser-known Calcolithic civilization in Pakistan Nindowari, also known as Nindo Damb, is an archaeological site from the Kulli civilisation. Dating back to 2500 - 2000 BCE, the Kulli region fell under the regions identified as Arachosia and Gedrosia. Arachosia is the Hellenized name of the ancient easternmost province of the Achaemenid empire. It was centred around the valley of the Arghandab River (modern-day southern Afghanistan) and extended to the Indus River (presen

The story behind a beautiful Sufi Qalam Rang is a beautiful and soul-stirring qalaam by Amir Khusrow, known as both the father of Qawaali in the Indian subcontinent and Urdu. He wrote it in the form of a letter to his mother, a beautiful piece of poetry, to describe his meeting and surrender to his beloved teacher, the mystic Nizamuddin Auliya. Attached, is a performance by the late Amjad Sabri, and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the undisputed, ever-green kings of Qawaali in Pakistan

And other rainbow myths Did you know that the Urdu word for rainbow, "Qaus-e-Qazah", comes from Arabic? Well, many words in the language do, no surprise there, so why write about it? Well, did you know the word's roots lie in pre-Islamic Arabian mythology? The September equinox is also known as the southward equinox. It is the moment when the sun appears to cross south of the celestial equator. Due to variations in calendar years, the event can occur any day between 21st-24th

Did you know that a gemstone stolen from the Indian Subcontinent landed at Cartier? Yes, you read that right! We've tried to sum up what transpired and lead up to it. As ever more prestigious clients rolled into the Cartier Mansion, P. Cartier insisted that they must only deal in large jewels, staying true to their reputation. Thus, he invested in a stone so large that if unsold, the cash flow dent could be an existential threat for the firm! The diamond was the Hope Diamond,

Two diamonds from the Indian subcontinent, the White Orlov and the Black Orlov have histories shrouded in myth and legend, both of which found their way to Europe during the days of the British Raj. As for the White Orlov, it is now part of the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin. It weighs 189.62 ct and has not been recut into a more modern style from the modified rose-cut style it was given earlier. The Russian government has put up a virtual tour of the spectacular collect

Technology from Pakistan's Mehrgarh civilization used by NASA Did you know that a 6,000-year-old amulet from Pakistan’s Mehrgarh civilisation is also the oldest example of a technology still used by NASA? A group of scientists described how they used a powerful synchrotron beam to analyze the tiny amulet on a microscopic level, revealing the mystery of secrets that shrouded its origins. Peering through the corrosion, they discovered that the true structure was not visible to

Paradan is a kingdom of which mention has been found in several sources. As for its location, Western scholars have regarded the evidence as "inconclusive" to date. Scholars of Sasanian history have attempted to determine the kingdom's location since the early 20th century. We think we may have solved the puzzle by putting together various sources and some good old local first-hand knowledge! Written sources: In his inscription at Kaba-i Zardust, the Sasanian emperor Shahpur

“Kif” is a mythological mountain range in Pakistani folklore. It is the kingdom of the King of Giants, Deo Safeyd. Before all else, it is important to explain to our English-speaking audience a little fact. The term giant is often used for Deo, for the lack of a better word in English. However. Deo's are not exactly giants. Known as the Div in Persian, they are somewhere in between a giant, an evil spirit and a monster. Invariably malicious male spirits, they are capable of

Medieval High Schools of the Middle East and Transoxania Dabiristans, were a special kind of schools for higher education which have now been lost to history. They were places of learning for the graded and non-compulsory education of servants in courtly administration. The dabiristans of Persia and Transoxania incorporated many aspects of the early medieval academies and colleges of the Near and Middle East, which flourished under the Sasanians and subsequently under the Ara

The Nawab who lost his kingdom for Pakistan Junagarh and Bantva Manavadar were two Princely States that chose to accede to Pakistan but were annexed by India. Both royal families shared a common lineage, and both lost their Kingdoms. The ruling family of both states belonged to the Babi family. Bantva Manavadar was granted by Nawab Muhammad Bahadur Khanji I to his younger brother Diler Khanji Babi in 1733. The family reigned there peacefully for two centuries. In 1818, the Pr