My Home Town
Part-I
City of lights
By Dr Mubarak Ali
Dr Mubarak Ali goes soul-searching as he tells the story of Karachi's sociological and physical development from a small fishing village to the mega-city it is today.
[img]http://dawn.com/events/lifestyle2003/images/sup27-01.jpg[/img]
Every city has two characteristics: ancientness and history. Ancientness of a city is determined by archeological evidence. When such evidence is inconclusive, ancient history becomes a fertile ground for legends and myths. Historians, in the absence of facts, construct a mythical history based on speculation and imagination.
The history of a city is determined by documentary evidence. Analysis and examination of documents help historians draw a comprehensive picture of a city's past. A city becomes historical only when it contributes to politics, literature, economics, and culture and creates its own soul, which distinguishes it from others. It also assumes significance because of its geographical and strategic location.
Throughout the history cities became prominent either because of their political and commercial importance or their cultural and social contribution to society. Cities that remained capitals of an empire or served as administrative centres assumed authoritative and hierarchical character in their development. On the other hand, cities that were centres of trade and commerce developed a homogeneous culture without much political domination and supervision.
Residential areas of the cities in the subcontinent were divided on the basis of ethnicity, religion, caste, and linguistic affiliations. There were separate places of worship and centres for social gatherings to keep their religious and ethnic identities, but once they came out from their residential space to the public space such as markets, gardens, playgrounds, working places, and government offices, they came into contact with one another.
Interaction, meeting, exchange of ideas in public
City of lights
By Dr Mubarak Ali
Dr Mubarak Ali goes soul-searching as he tells the story of Karachi's sociological and physical development from a small fishing village to the mega-city it is today.
[img]http://dawn.com/events/lifestyle2003/images/sup27-01.jpg[/img]
Every city has two characteristics: ancientness and history. Ancientness of a city is determined by archeological evidence. When such evidence is inconclusive, ancient history becomes a fertile ground for legends and myths. Historians, in the absence of facts, construct a mythical history based on speculation and imagination.
The history of a city is determined by documentary evidence. Analysis and examination of documents help historians draw a comprehensive picture of a city's past. A city becomes historical only when it contributes to politics, literature, economics, and culture and creates its own soul, which distinguishes it from others. It also assumes significance because of its geographical and strategic location.
Throughout the history cities became prominent either because of their political and commercial importance or their cultural and social contribution to society. Cities that remained capitals of an empire or served as administrative centres assumed authoritative and hierarchical character in their development. On the other hand, cities that were centres of trade and commerce developed a homogeneous culture without much political domination and supervision.
Residential areas of the cities in the subcontinent were divided on the basis of ethnicity, religion, caste, and linguistic affiliations. There were separate places of worship and centres for social gatherings to keep their religious and ethnic identities, but once they came out from their residential space to the public space such as markets, gardens, playgrounds, working places, and government offices, they came into contact with one another.
Interaction, meeting, exchange of ideas in public