FLAG OF PAKISTAN: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The flag of Pakistan is heavily influenced by Islam. The green square with the moon and star on the left side of the flag resembles the banner used by the Muslim League during the Pakistan independence movement.

Pakistan is not a country with a lot of history on its own, but it owes its existence to the end of the Second World War and to the territorial divisions that the countries carried out after the conflict.

Pakistani Flag (National flag) Previously, Pakistan simply existed under the flag of the British Raj, as the English controlled a large part of the territory of the region.

It was not until 1947 that the English-controlled Muslim countries in Asia achieved independence from the Crown. It was in this same year that Pakistan declared itself an independent nation, officially adopting, and for the first time in its history, the white and green flag that its inhabitants raise today.

History

Most of the history of what is now Pakistan is tied to the English and their dominance in India and Asia. The British Crown exercised a strong colonial rule in India and the entire subcontinent that makes it up, which brought many of the Muslim countries in the region under the control of the English.

British Raj (1858 - 1947)

It is known like British Raj to the dominion that the English exerted on all the territory of the subcontinent of the India during the period that includes the years 1858 to 1947. Also it usually refers to this stage as the control of the Crown in India.

It should be noted, however, that many of the countries that made up the Raj did act independently, but had the British as a sort of international guardian.

For example, India participated in several Olympic games and was even one of the founding countries of the United Nations, even when they were under British rule.

Pakistan, during all this time, was part of what was also called the Empire of India. As an independent and exclusively referred nation, Pakistan never existed officially until the division of the empire in 1947. Previously, Pakistan and all the territory that today makes up the country was part of India under British rule.

Flag of the British Raj 1857-1947 No machine-readable author provided. Greentubing ~ commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). Besides Pakistan, other smaller countries also became part of the British Raj during its almost 100 years of existence. Bruma was in a similar situation to Pakistan. All countries were under the same banner all this time, known as the "Star of India."

India mainly used the flag of the Viceroy and Governor General of India. There were also other naval and military variants with the same insignia that this flag presents in the center.

Muslim League (1906 - 1947)

The Muslims who inhabited a part of British India decided to create a political party called the Muslim League. While this league was never considered a country, they were the first to adopt a flag similar to the one used by Pakistan today.

In fact, this political movement had the objective of turning Pakistan into an independent country, detaching itself from the pretensions of the British and also separating itself from the Empire of India. The movement lasted many years and it was not until after World War II that Pakistan finally became an autonomous nation.

In 1946, the Muslim League won a large number of votes in the elections, holding 90% of the political seats in Congress after the elections. This served as a kind of plebiscite. With the majority achieved in congress, the doors were opened for Pakistan to become independent from India and from the British Raj himself.

Flag of the Muslim League (1906 - 1947) No machine-readable author provided. Ninane assumed (based on copyright claims).

Independence and flag of Pakistan (1947 - Present)

After the election results, the British government and the British Congress refused to accept that Pakistan became an independent nation. However, the Pakistani majority achieved in Congress made it virtually impossible for the political situation to favor the British.

The United Kingdom devised a plan to be able to maintain the dominion of India even when Pakistan separated from the union, since the English had no intention of giving up the control they had in Asia. However, the British plan failed catastrophically, and Pakistan managed to declare itself an independent nation in 1947.

With the independence of Pakistan and the failed attempt to maintain control, the British declared, in 1947, their intentions to stop controlling territory in Asia. It was from this year that India and Pakistan separated and ceased to belong to the British Raj.

The flag that was adopted was very similar to that of the Muslim League, but with a much darker shade of green and a white stripe on its left side.

Flag of Pakistan (1947 - present) (National flag)

Meaning

The flag of Pakistan is representative of the Muslim population living in the country. In fact, one of the main reasons for the independence of Pakistan was the creation of a state so that the Muslims of India could live in peace.

The crescent moon with the star is the symbol of Islam, and represents the main religious belief of the state.

The green color of the flag also represents belief in Islam. The white stripe adopted on the left side of the pavilion represents all the colors of the light spectrum, signifying the acceptance of all religious minorities within Pakistan.

The flag has a denoted symbolic value. It is seen as one of the main sources of patriotism in Pakistan.

It is usually hoisted every day at dawn and it is customary to lower it at dusk. In addition, it is common to wave it on Independence Day and other national dates, as written in the country's legal texts.

References

1. Flag of Pakistan, Whitney Smith for Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018. Taken from Britannica.com
2. What Do The Colors And Symbols Of The Flag Of Pakistan Mean? World Atlas, (nd). Taken from worldatlas.com
3. Flag of Pakistan - A Brief History, Flag Makers UK, (nd). Taken from flagmakers.co.uk
4. Pakistan Flag, World Population Review Website, (nd). Taken from worldpopulationreview.com
5. Pakistan, Wikipedia, 2019. Taken from Wikipedia.org