Welcome to Episode 9 of The Making of Pakistan: Unpacking the Roots of a Nation. In this episode, we turn to Chapter 8 of K.K. Aziz’s thought-provoking work, which explores the failed efforts to unify Hindus and Muslims—despite spiritual common ground—and the growing momentum of Muslim nationalism that culminated in the creation of Pakistan.

In Episode 9, we examine the deep and often paradoxical relationship between Hinduism and Islam in India, as explored in Chapter 8 of The Making of Pakistan. From Kabir’s spiritual vision of unity across religious lines to the political forces that drove the demand for a separate Muslim state, this chapter traces the tension between unity and division. We investigate why Muslims in Hindu-majority provinces—many of whom wouldn’t be part of Pakistan—so strongly supported its creation, and explore the internal contradictions within the Two-Nation Theory itself. Finally, we contrast the subjective and emotional foundation of Muslim nationalism with the objective and structural nature of Hindu nationalism to better understand how these divergent worldviews led to partition.