The Charismatic Leader: Quaid-I-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the Creation of Pakistan

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Dr Sikandar Hayat has been educated in Pakistan and abroad (Columbia University, New York), and has taught the history and politics of Pakistan since early 1973 at the Department of Pakistan Studies, and from 1983, at the Department of History, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. He was appointed Professor of History in 1999 and Meritorious Professor of History in 2005. In September 2006, he retired as Professor and Chairman of the Department of History. Subsequently. he joined the National School of Public Policy and remained associated with it as Directing Staff at the National Management College (formerly Pakistan Administrative Staff College), and Dean, National Institute of Public Policy, Lahore, till September 2012. Presently, he is Distinguished Professor of History and Public Policy at the FC College University, Lahore.

Dr Hayat served as Education Counsellor at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC, USA from 1991-95. He is a recipient of the American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS) Scholar-in-Residence Award and has taught at the Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, and at Arkansas State University, Jonesboro. He was awarded the AIPS Lecture Series Award in 1990, 1997, and 2003 to lecture on Pakistan in American universities, and was selected for the Fulbright Visiting Specialists Programme 'Direct Access to the Muslim World', to teach at Juniata College, Pennsylvania, USA in March-April 2006.

Dr Hayat is founder editor of the Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University. He has written extensively on Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the Pakistan Movement in national and international journals. His other books include, Aspects of the Pakistan Movement and Genesis of Pakistan Movement. He is currently engaged in writing a full-length biography of Jinnah, also covering his political life and career as the first Governor-General of Pakistan.

This is the Second, Revised Edition of the book-which is to say that I have read and re-read the book since it was published a couple of years back. Despite some alterations in detail and emphasis and additions for the purpose of updating the book I am generally satisfied with the book in terms of the content and the main argument. These additions are distributed across the entire book and will be noticeable only to a discerning reader. However, it is gratifying that a second, revised edition is coming so soon after the first edition, which has been received well both by the specialists and educated, informed readers. I must thank Ms Ameena Saiyid, OBE, Managing Director of the Oxford University Press (OUP), Pakistan, for all her help and cooperation. Under her able leadership, the OUP, Pakistan has published several books on Jinnah. I am certain she will continue to remain interested and involved in the promotion of Jinnah studies and related literature. I must also take this opportunity to thank my editor, Ms Saadia Mirza for her keen efforts in the timely publication of this book.

Presenting revised edition of a book, as authors who have done so, will bear me, is a somewhat daunting task (no wonder there are so few revised editions, except for text books), particularly, due to a host of comments, suggestions, and indeed criticisms one receives over the first edition. Criticism is good and welcome, but very hard to accommodate: what one critic wishes to get rid of, another stresses as a major strength of the book. The author therefore finds himself facing conflicting opinions from all sides. Fortunately, however, the final responsibility for revision remains with the author.

In this revised edition, I have preserved, indeed improved the main framework of charisma' and 'charismatic leadership' which practically all reviewers and readers found to be new, innovative, and valuable.

The basic theme of this book is the role played by Quaid-1- T Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the charismatic leader of the Muslims in India which led to the creation of Pakistan on 14 August 1947. The study of the crisis-ridden, distressful decade of 1937- 47 reveals how crucial Jinnah's role was in directing and determining the events in this period ultimately culminating in Independence for the Muslims. His personality, matured by decades of experience as a prominent political leader, his abilities as a constitutionalist and lawyer, his deep commitment towards Muslim interests and demands; his knack for offering viable formulas to promote and protect Muslim interests; his capacity for organization; his strategic thinking and tactical skills, and above all, his absolute faith in himself and his cause, all contributed to his emergence as the charismatic leader of Muslim India.

Jinnah was, of course, helped by situational factors affecting the Muslims including the persistence of the Hindu-Muslim problem; the inherent bias of the system of government introduced by the British in India, based as it was on the majority principle making the Muslims a 'minority' community, the devolution of British authority in India, especially during the war years and the imminent threat of the Hindu-majority rule, and, most importantly, the failure of the Muslim 'traditional leadership to show a way out of the difficulties faced by the Muslims as India moved towards self-government and freedom. The result was that the Muslims faced a distressful situation. Indeed, it was because of this situation that they turned to Jinnah who had the necessary personal qualities and was willing and ready to lead them into a safe and secure future.