Written by: Ayesha Amir
Posted on: November 04, 2024 | 
| 中文
The Textbook's cover page illustrated by Hira Arshad
A Teen’s Guide to Pakistan’s History is an alternative history book aimed for a younger audience. It was published in July 2024 as an open-access digital publication, available for non-commercial educational use. It is a project of Hashiya Online, an initiative by Shehri Pakistani and film director Arafat Mazhar in Lahore, which is dedicated to promoting an understanding of alternative histories. After conversation with the creators of this book, writers Amna Akber and Shaza Farooq, and designer and illustrator Hira Arshad, gave me a greater insight into how this history book was realized as their passion project for children. The research for the book involved contributions from expert historians in the field (such as the professors at LUMS), which when coupled with engaging visuals, makes complex historical topics accessible and visually captivating.
The Team
The publication of the book reflects the collaborative efforts of several key figures, including development editor Essam Fahim and editor Rasti Farooq, while the art direction received guidance from Tehreem Binte Zafar. This project was further supported by Engage, a research and advocacy nonprofit focused on Pakistani laws such as the blasphemy law, and Puffball, a Lahore-based studio that contributed its animation, design and music expertise. With EdJam as a project partner, the book aligns with broader educational initiatives aimed at expanding civic and historical knowledge in Pakistan.
The Team behind A Teen's Guide to Pakistan's History (illustrated by Hira Arshad)
The creative process of the writers behind realizing this project centered around the reading habits as well as the pedagogical practices and curriculum within Pakistan. Shaza and Amna interestingly stated that one may note the younger audiences in Pakistan being educated on Pakistan’s history via academic textbooks mostly, if not only. This is because for many young Pakistanis, exposure to history often begins and ends with dry academic textbooks. This to me struck true, because if I may prompt my readers to revisit their childhood, did textbooks ever really capture your imagination? Or were you, like many, more captivated by colorful encyclopedias on the mysteries of ancient Greece or Egypt? Did you want to know more about the Great Pyramids of Giza instead of the Indus Valley figurines? At Hashiya and Puffball studios, the writers of A Teen's Guide to Pakistan’s History, Shaza Farooq and Amna Akber’s main area of interest and research for this book stems from this very observation that children are drawn towards a history and stories that are not from their own land and tradition. They noticed that children are naturally curious about stories when they are accessible and engaging, unlike, unfortunately, most Pakistani history textbooks. It has been, for some reason, more interesting to engage with Eurocentric stories instead of the folktale or stories of our own tradition.
Sneak Peak from the textbook (illustrated by Hira Arshad)
This project for Shaza and Amna, hence, became an important effort of decolonizing our engagement with history as an audience. It is a step towards deconditioning and relearning the significance of understanding our own past. The book is not just to tell Pakistan’s history to children but to reshape the way young readers engage with it. They aim to decolonize history education in a way that invites children to find inspiration and pride in their own heritage. It is a move away from Eurocentric narratives and toward an exploration of local stories that have deeper significance for our local tradition. That being said, it is also to be noted that while there is nothing wrong with being drawn to the non-South Asian histories, it is, however, essential that this curiosity doesn’t come at the expense of our connection to our own past.
Now what does it mean that this project is an attempt towards alterative history? As Pakistanis, the phrase “alternative history” strikes a chord of discomfort amongst many. This is because our past has often been presented to us in a distorted, filtered or biased manner. The term “alternative” hence is often mistaken as a phenomenon that will misrepresent or provide a new world view. This, however, is far from true. What alternative historical perspectives allow us to do is to resolve significant past events in a different light. It allows us to question, “did this really happen, or is this part of the victors’ testimony?” As the famous saying goes, history is written by the victors, but alternative history informs us that things may have been different from what we have been conditioned to think. Through it, we can reclaim our past and retell our stories.
Sneak Peak illustration from the textbook (by Hira Arshad, with her original handwriting)
A Teen’s Guide to Pakistan’s History does exactly this, the book is a well-researched and a comprehensive telling of the past that engages the interest of children. It is divided into four main historical eras, namely the Indus Age, the Vedic Age, The Gandharan Age and the Muslims of South Asia. The book follows a unique storytelling pattern, whereby it utilizes cultural symbolism as an anchor to explain history. Instead of the linear matter-of-factly-tone, the book engages the audience through worldbuilding, where we are led to imagine and ponder over how and why we are the way we are, how did our cities construct their cultural identity, and what artefacts contributed to a shared heritage in our geography. The most compelling part of the book, however, are the illustrations. They are original and well thought out, with Hira Arshad’s own handwritten captions on some of the illustrations. The feeling that this little detail bestows to the book is that of an annotated copy – as if the writers and designer of the book are actively with us throughout the journey of the book.
Book cover
When Shaza and Amna were asked about any restrictions during their creative process, their response was posed at the governmental regulations. Given that this project is designed as textbook, the goal was to get it into school syllabi and curriculum. Due to this, the content of the book had to be tweaked in compliance with the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) regulations. Other than that, the team behind this textbook is still engaged in efforts to get various public and private schools to incorporate A Teen’s Guide to Pakistan’s History within their syllabus. However, the best part about this book is its availability online, for everyone to read and engage thoughtfully with. It is a commendable effort and a starting point for hopefully many more alternative history projects for younger audiences.
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