Pakistani Culture is the Amalgamation of Different

CulturesM. Salman Adullah| M. Safeer Ul Azeem Abbasi

How is Culture Defined Culture is defined as the behavior of a society. It includes Habits, actions, ideas, customs and values that we hold dear as an

organized society or a family member and as a religious person.

Culture is the characterized by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.

Culture depends upon geographical location a lot.

Amalgamation of Different Cultures• Amalgamation stands for “result of combination”.• How and Why Pakistani culture is amalgamation of different culture? Answer to this question lies in

1. Geography2. Language3. Historical Background

of this continent.

Geography

Urdu• Urdu developed under the influence of the Persian and Arabic languages, both of

which have contributed a significant amount of vocabulary to formal speech. • Around 99% of Urdu verbs have their roots in Sanskrit and Procrit.• Alphabets are originated from Arabic, Persian, Sindhi/Pashto.• Urdu is a language that accepts words from other languages, which keeps it

updated. English words are also acceptable in Urdu.

Thus, like Pakistani culture, Urdu language is the result of Amalgamation of different cultures.

Historical Background• Pre Islamic• Hindu• Sikh• Sanskrit

• Advent of Islamic & Arabs• Muhammad Bin Qasim• Abbasi Caliphs

• Mughal Empire• British Rule• Independence

Pakistani CultureWestern

Cultu

reTurkish Culture Persian Culture

Central Asia and West AsiaSubcontinent Culture

Islamic & Arabic Culture

Islamic Culture

Islamic Culture• Pakistan has adopted Islam as its Basic Culture with the subcultures

on its side.• Islamic Culture refers to the customs and traditions that Muslims have

adopted in their respective countries.• Which includes • Islamic Clothing,• Food,• Wedding traditions,

Islamic Culture• Names

Islamic Culture• funerals,• Simplicity• Architecture• Sufism• Eid Festivals • Islamic Calendar

Arab Culture

Arab Culture• Poetry & Literature• Architecture• Bedouin• Sports• Horse Racing• Tent pegging

• Music• Daf

Western Culture

Western Culture• Language• Architecture and design• Education• Celebrations

Western Culture• Dress• Food• Law & Politics• Principle values• Music• Calendar

Pakistani Culture

Pakistani Culture• Culture of Pakistan پاکستان ثقافت--ِ  comprises numerous ethnic

groups:• The Punjabi, Kashmiri, Sindhi in the east, Muhajir Makarani in the

south.• Baloch, Hazaras and Pashtuns in the west. • and the Dards, Wakhi, Baltis and Burusho communities in the north.• The culture of these Pakistani ethnic groups have been greatly

influenced by many of its neighbours, such as the other South Asians, Turkic peoples as well as the peoples of Central Asia and West Asia.

Architecture of Pakistan

Indo-Islamic Architecture• With the beginning of the Indus civilization around the middle of the 3rd B.C

an advance culture developed for the 1st time in the region, with large structural facilities, some of which survive to this day.

• Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and Kot Diji belong to the pre-Islamic era settlements.• These remnants are visible in the Gandhara capital of Taxila.• The architecture of the areas now constituting Pakistan can be traced to four

distinct periods.1. Pre-Islamic, 2. Islamic, 3. colonial, 4. post-colonial.

Indo-Islamic Architecture • The arrival of Islam around 7th centurery in today's Pakistan introduced

the classical indo-Islamic construction techniques into Pakistan's architectural landscape.• Both secular and religious buildings are influenced by Indo-Islamic

architecture which exhibit Indian, Islamic, Persian, Central Asian, Arabic and Ottoman Turkish influences,• The town of UchSharif contains the tombs of Bibi Jawindi, Baha'al-Halim,

and Jalaluddin Bukhari, which are considered some of the earliest examples of Islamic architecture in Pakistan and are on the UNESCO Tentative World Heritage Site list since 2004.• One of the most important of the few examples of the Persian style of

architecture is the tomb of the Shah Rukn-i-Alam in Multan.

Architecture of Persia

Tomb of Bibi Jawindi Tomb of the Shah Rukn-i-Alam

Architecture of the Delhi Sultanate• The Delhi Sultanate is the name given to an Islamic Kingdom based

mostly in North India around Delhi• The Qutb Complex is an array of monuments located at Delhi.

The Qutb Minar, the tallest brick minaret in the world, is the most influential structures.• The minar was built by Qutbuddin Aibak to celebrate Turkish

victory and to mark the beginning of Muslim rule in India.

Architecture of the Delhi Sultanate

Architecture of Mughals• During the Mughal era, design elements of Islamic-Persian

architecture were fused with, and often produced playful forms of, local art, resulting in the establishment of Mughal Architecture.• Lahore, occasional residence of Mughal rulers, exhibits a multiplicity of

important buildings from the empire, among them the Badshahi mosque, the fortress of Lahore with the famous Alamgiri Gate, the colorful, still strongly Mughal-influenced Wazir Khan Mosque as well as numerous other mosques and mausoleums.• The Shahjahan Mosque of Thatta in Sindh also originates from the

epoch of the Mughals, as does the Mohabbat Khan Mosque in Peshawar.

Wazir Khan Mosque

Wazir Khan Mosque

Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta

Architecture of Colonial Subcontinent • In the British colonial age, the buildings developed were

predominantly of the Indo-European style, with a mixture of European and Indian-Islamic components.

Mohatta Palace colonial Architecture

Architecture of Pakistan• Post-colonial national identity is expressed in modern structures like

the Faisal Mosque, the Minar-e-Pakistan and the Mazar-e-Quaid.• The unconventional design of Fiasal Masjid is designed

by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay was selected after an international competition.• The Minar-e-Pakistan reflects a blend of Mughal/Islamic and modern

architecture.• The Minar-e-Pakistan was designed and supervised by Nasreddin

Murat-Khan, an architect and engineer hailing from Daghistan (Russia).• The design of Mazar-e-Quaid building was given by Yahya Merchant

who is a renowned architect on global scale.

Pakistan and Turkish Architecture

Marriage in Pakistan• Marriage in Pakistan is a legal union between a man and a woman. • Culturally, it is not only a link between the husband and wife, but also an

alliance between their respective families. Because about 97% of Pakistan's population is Muslim the Islamic law (Sharia) is usually observed.• Some of the most common events that are held in a Pakistani marriage include

variations of the following. • Marriage Proposal, Engagement, Dholki, Mehndi (Henna), Barat, Nikah,

Registration, Reception, Rukhsti, Valima, and Honeymoon. • The only Islamic requirement is the Nikah and Valima. Other events are

cultural additions and Registration is usually a legal requirement.• The act of one man having multiple (4) wives, is permitted under islamic

culture.

Marriage in Pakistan

Marriage in PakistanArranged Marriages

• Arranged marriages have been an integral part of Pakistani society form 100s of years and are still prevalent.• Marriages are often arranged within the family or within the same community

or ethnicity (as we lived with Hindus for thousand of years and Hindus divided in to 4 casts and marriage between two different casts are impossibal).• Social and educational status are very important in arranged matrimonial

alliances .• However nowadays as we are effected from European civilizations , love

marriages are slowly becoming more common and acceptable in Pakistan. • Arranged matches are made after taking into account factors such as the

wealth and social standing of their families.

Marriage in PakistanMarriage Process• Arranged marriages in Pakistan often take long periods of time to finalize.

When the wedding date approaches, all close relatives are invited for a typical Pakistani wedding.• A proposal party is a reception held at the bride's house, where the

groom's parents and family elders formally ask the bride's parents for her hand in marriage.• In religious families, once the wedding proposal is accepted, the families

read Surah Al-Fatihah, and then tea and refreshments are served.• An engagement is a formal ceremony to mark the engagement of the

couple. It is usually a small ceremony that takes place in the presence of a few close members of would-be bride's and groom’s families.

Marriage in PakistanMarriage Process• Rings and other items of jewelry among affluent families are

exchanged between the would-be bride and groom.• Traditionally, the bride and the groom were not seated together, and

the rings are placed on the bride's finger by the groom's mother or sister, and vice versa (due to Islamic values).• But as we are Effected by both Hindus and European so, In recent

years, however, segregated functions have become a status symbol and rings are usually exchanged between the couple. Prayer and blessings for the couple are then recited, and the wedding date is decided.

Marriage in PakistanDholki• The Dholki celebration takes its name from the percussion instrument

Dholki.• Normally this celebration is happened in Punjabi marriages and we took

this from Sikhs.• Traditionally, many days or even weeks before the actual wedding day,

women will gather in the house of the bride at night to sing and dance.• Today, this ceremony has also been reduced to a single night of singing and is often combined with Mehndi or Henna ceremony.

Marriage in PakistanMehndi• Typically mehndi is a festival of people who lives in India but muslim

also adopted.• The Rasm-e-henna ceremony, typically takes place one or two days

prior to the main wedding day. • The event is traditionally held separately for the bride and the groom.• The henna is symbolically placed on the couple's hands. The groom's

friends and family bring along sweets and henna for the bride, and the bride's family does the same for the groom.• Traditionally, since there were separate functions for both the bride

and the groom, the groom's function was called 'Tael' (oil) where female guests put some oil into the groom's hair.

Marriage in PakistanMehndi

• The bride normally wears a green, yellow, or orange dress for the Henna celebration and uses only light, or mostly, no make-up. • The groom will typically wear a casual Shalwar Qameez.

Marriage in PakistanMehndi

• The bride and/or the groom are brought forward in the ceremony under a decorative dupatta by their close relatives.

• In the bridal ceremony, a certain number of married women who are closely related to the bride apply henna to her hands, and feed her sweets.

Marriage in PakistanMahr• In Islam, a Mahr is a mandatory payment, in the form of money or

possessions that will be paid by the groom to the bride.• While the mahr is often money, it can also be anything agreed upon

by the bride such as jewelry, home goods, furniture, a dwelling or some land.• Mahr is typically specified in the marriage contract signed during an

Islamic marriage.

Marriage in PakistanBaraat• Baraat is the procession of the family, relatives, and friends of the

groom and they accompany the groom to the bride’s home for the official wedding ceremony. • The groom makes his way to the bride's home on a richly decked

horse or car and the “baraat” follows in different vehicles.• Usually they are also accompanied by a band playing wedding songs.• The groom is given a warm welcome by the bride’s family with flower

garlands and rose petals thrown upon the procession by the bride's sisters, cousins and friends.

Marriage in Pakistan Nikah

• If the couple are Muslim, a Nikkah is performed. Nikkah نِكاح , is an Islamic official wedding ceremony. • A marriage contract is signed by both the bride and the groom in presence

of their parents and close relatives. • Wedding is illegal without a Nikah.• The Nikah is performed by a person who has the license issued by the government to perform this ritual.

Marriage in PakistanNikha

• The bride traditionally wears a red, pink or purple gharara, lehenga or shalwar kameez which is heavily embroidered.• The groom may wear a traditional dress such as sherwani with

a sehra or turban though some may prefer to wear a western inspired suit.• A dinner is served which consists of several dishes with meat featuring heavily in the meal.• The bride's family is responsible for the reception and arrangements of the day.

Marriage in PakistanRukhsati

Marriage in PakistanRukhsati

• The Rukhsati ُرخصتی takes place, when the groom and his family will leave together with the bride. • The Quran is normally held over the bride's head as she walks from the

stage to the exit (or if the ceremony is being held at home, to the main entrance of the house) in order to bless and protect her.• The departure of the bride becomes a very emotional scene as she says

farewell to the home of her parents and siblings to start a new married life.

Marriage in PakistanWalima• Walima is the final day of the wedding held by the couple as they

host their first dinner as husband and wife.• The groom's family, specifically his parents, invite all of the bride's

family and their guests to their home for a feast.• In Islam Walima is the cermoney used to publicize the marriage.

Marriage in Pakistan Honeymoon• It is very common for the couples to go for a honeymoon following

the shaadi (wedding) and walima ceremonies.• The concept of honeymoon is comes from western civilization.

Funeral in Pakistan

Funeral in Pakistan• In Pakistan Funeral of a dead is done According to Islamic law (“shariah”).• The body should be buried as soon as possible from the time of death,

which means that funeral planning and preparations begin immediately.• Organ donation is generally acceptable for Muslims, as it follows the

Qur’an’s teaching that "Whosoever saves the life of one person it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.“• To prepare the body for burial, it must be washed (“Ghusl”) and

shrouded (“Kafan”). Close same-sex family members are encouraged to give Ghusl, though in the case of spousal death the spouse may perform the washing.

Funeral in Pakistan• Salat al-Janazah (funeral prayers) should be performed by all members of

the community. Though the prayers should be recited at the mosque, they should not be recited inside the mosque; instead, they should be performed in a prayer room or study room, or in the mosque’s courtyard.• After Salat al-Janazah has been recited, the body should be transported

to the cemetery for burial. Traditionally, only men are allowed to be present at the burial, though in some communities all mourners, including women, will be allowed at the gravesite.• It is customary for the community to provide food for the family for the

first few days of the mourning period (usually three days).

Cuisine

Cuisine• Culinary art in Pakistan mainly a mix of Indian cuisines with some

Middle Eastern and Afghan influence. There are variations of cooking practices across the country. Urban centers of the country offer an amalgamation of recipes from all parts of the country, while food with specific local ingredients and tastes is available in rural areas and villages. Different specialties exist throughout the country. There are also local forms of grilled meat or kebabs, desserts, and a variety of hot and cold drinks.

Festivals and observances

• Ramadan• Chand Raat• Eid celebrations• Milaad un Nabi• Muharram (Ashura)• Jashn-e-Baharan• Christmas• Independence Day• Resolution day