Ilhan Niaz
@ilhanniaz.bsky.social
Writes history - books include Old World Empires, The State During the British Raj, The Culture of Power and Governance of Pakistan, Downfall: Lessons for our Final Century, and just about to drop, New World Empires. OUP/Routledge/CSCR.
On the third anniversary of the publication of my 2022 book (Downfall: Lessons for our Final Century), I’ll be discussing the process of collapse (a real sunny topic 😃) thanks to the Parallel Learning Space. You can join on zoom by emailing below:
parallel.learning.org@gmail.com
parallel.learning.org@gmail.com
September 22, 2025 at 12:14 PM
On the third anniversary of the publication of my 2022 book (Downfall: Lessons for our Final Century), I’ll be discussing the process of collapse (a real sunny topic 😃) thanks to the Parallel Learning Space. You can join on zoom by emailing below:
parallel.learning.org@gmail.com
parallel.learning.org@gmail.com
The Institute of Policy Studies has been doing some good work by interviewing Pakistani civil servants who served in key positions, thereby preserving firsthand experience for scholars & practitioners. The first vol of Beyond the Files is out (ordering info below)
press.ips.org.pk/product/beyo...
press.ips.org.pk/product/beyo...
August 18, 2025 at 9:46 AM
The Institute of Policy Studies has been doing some good work by interviewing Pakistani civil servants who served in key positions, thereby preserving firsthand experience for scholars & practitioners. The first vol of Beyond the Files is out (ordering info below)
press.ips.org.pk/product/beyo...
press.ips.org.pk/product/beyo...
Great moments in parliamentary history:
July 28, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Great moments in parliamentary history:
Solon’s paradox in a nutshell:
The greater your wisdom the greater your aversion to power.
The greater your power the greater your need for wisdom.
So, basically, humanity is screwed.
Cuz wise people won’t compete for power and powerful people will thus be bereft of wisdom.
The greater your wisdom the greater your aversion to power.
The greater your power the greater your need for wisdom.
So, basically, humanity is screwed.
Cuz wise people won’t compete for power and powerful people will thus be bereft of wisdom.
July 8, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Solon’s paradox in a nutshell:
The greater your wisdom the greater your aversion to power.
The greater your power the greater your need for wisdom.
So, basically, humanity is screwed.
Cuz wise people won’t compete for power and powerful people will thus be bereft of wisdom.
The greater your wisdom the greater your aversion to power.
The greater your power the greater your need for wisdom.
So, basically, humanity is screwed.
Cuz wise people won’t compete for power and powerful people will thus be bereft of wisdom.
Qatar under Iranian fire targeting US base:
June 23, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Qatar under Iranian fire targeting US base:
The Pakistan Experience asked me for book recommendations - here are some of them:
Zarakol’s Before the West
Giridhardas’s Winners Take all
Kibria’s A shattered dream
Fouzia Farooq’s Muslim Rule in Medieval India
Zarakol’s Before the West
Giridhardas’s Winners Take all
Kibria’s A shattered dream
Fouzia Farooq’s Muslim Rule in Medieval India
June 17, 2025 at 12:34 PM
The Pakistan Experience asked me for book recommendations - here are some of them:
Zarakol’s Before the West
Giridhardas’s Winners Take all
Kibria’s A shattered dream
Fouzia Farooq’s Muslim Rule in Medieval India
Zarakol’s Before the West
Giridhardas’s Winners Take all
Kibria’s A shattered dream
Fouzia Farooq’s Muslim Rule in Medieval India
June 14, 2025 at 1:20 PM
The deal that Trump is “most proud of” is mediating with India and Pakistan and averting a potential nuclear war - now both countries working towards a trade deal with US, while military tensions easing: India’s face saving bilateral fixation rubbished yet again by Trump:
May 31, 2025 at 1:39 PM
The deal that Trump is “most proud of” is mediating with India and Pakistan and averting a potential nuclear war - now both countries working towards a trade deal with US, while military tensions easing: India’s face saving bilateral fixation rubbished yet again by Trump:
“After Pakistan knocked down a bunch of their planes…” Fox News quips about India dropping tariffs and potentially seeking more U.S. arms:
May 18, 2025 at 12:40 PM
“After Pakistan knocked down a bunch of their planes…” Fox News quips about India dropping tariffs and potentially seeking more U.S. arms:
Trump re-re-re-redoubles down on India-Pakistan - US helped avert nuclear war, US & Pakistan need to do a lot more trade….
May 17, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Trump re-re-re-redoubles down on India-Pakistan - US helped avert nuclear war, US & Pakistan need to do a lot more trade….
India begged the US to help it out of a jam after Pakistan struck this morning.
The US obliged.
Pakistan agreed.
US leadership posted accordingly.
Now US being insulted by iIndians.
Ceasefire & mediation negotiated by Trump being criticised by Indians.
It’s a circus.
The US obliged.
Pakistan agreed.
US leadership posted accordingly.
Now US being insulted by iIndians.
Ceasefire & mediation negotiated by Trump being criticised by Indians.
It’s a circus.
May 10, 2025 at 7:37 PM
India begged the US to help it out of a jam after Pakistan struck this morning.
The US obliged.
Pakistan agreed.
US leadership posted accordingly.
Now US being insulted by iIndians.
Ceasefire & mediation negotiated by Trump being criticised by Indians.
It’s a circus.
The US obliged.
Pakistan agreed.
US leadership posted accordingly.
Now US being insulted by iIndians.
Ceasefire & mediation negotiated by Trump being criticised by Indians.
It’s a circus.
It’s not just Indian jets & drones that are getting shot down: 😁
May 8, 2025 at 8:37 AM
It’s not just Indian jets & drones that are getting shot down: 😁
“Understanding Home-Based Workers in Pakistan” by Uzma Quresh; Zahra Mansoor; Maria Qazi; Hibah Tipu Sheikh has just been released online & is free to download. A great resource if you are working on the sector or want to understand women in the workforce:
documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/0...
documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/0...
March 10, 2025 at 11:39 AM
“Understanding Home-Based Workers in Pakistan” by Uzma Quresh; Zahra Mansoor; Maria Qazi; Hibah Tipu Sheikh has just been released online & is free to download. A great resource if you are working on the sector or want to understand women in the workforce:
documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/0...
documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/0...
If you are in India you can get my latest book, New World Empires: Cultures of Power and Governance in the Americas , from Manohar, New Delhi. Having spent a part of my childhood in New Delhi, it means quite a bit to have my book published in India.
www.manoharbooks.com/BookDetails/...
www.manoharbooks.com/BookDetails/...
March 2, 2025 at 4:04 PM
If you are in India you can get my latest book, New World Empires: Cultures of Power and Governance in the Americas , from Manohar, New Delhi. Having spent a part of my childhood in New Delhi, it means quite a bit to have my book published in India.
www.manoharbooks.com/BookDetails/...
www.manoharbooks.com/BookDetails/...
My latest essay “Officer Class: Pakistan’s Bureaucratic Elites and the Origins of Constitutional Disorder” is out in Asian Affairs - if you’d like a copy let me know and I can send it your way. 😁
www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
March 2, 2025 at 12:53 PM
My latest essay “Officer Class: Pakistan’s Bureaucratic Elites and the Origins of Constitutional Disorder” is out in Asian Affairs - if you’d like a copy let me know and I can send it your way. 😁
www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
What role did Pakistan’s civil service play in the origins of the country’s constitutional disorder? Check out my essay, “Officer Class”, for Asia Affairs:
www.academia.edu/127609868/Of...
www.academia.edu/127609868/Of...
February 18, 2025 at 11:36 AM
What role did Pakistan’s civil service play in the origins of the country’s constitutional disorder? Check out my essay, “Officer Class”, for Asia Affairs:
www.academia.edu/127609868/Of...
www.academia.edu/127609868/Of...
This book might interest you:
February 6, 2025 at 9:40 AM
This book might interest you:
Brilliant conversation between Ejaz Haider and Sergey Radchenko on Russia’s comprehension of world order and it’s own interests in relation to other powers.
Do check out his new book ‘To Run the World: the Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power’ (Cambridge UP, 2024),
youtu.be/5n6Sz32ol6o?...
Do check out his new book ‘To Run the World: the Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power’ (Cambridge UP, 2024),
youtu.be/5n6Sz32ol6o?...
January 27, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Brilliant conversation between Ejaz Haider and Sergey Radchenko on Russia’s comprehension of world order and it’s own interests in relation to other powers.
Do check out his new book ‘To Run the World: the Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power’ (Cambridge UP, 2024),
youtu.be/5n6Sz32ol6o?...
Do check out his new book ‘To Run the World: the Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power’ (Cambridge UP, 2024),
youtu.be/5n6Sz32ol6o?...
Yesterday I met the great Jojo.
Jojo likes the shoes.
😁
Jojo likes the shoes.
😁
January 18, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Yesterday I met the great Jojo.
Jojo likes the shoes.
😁
Jojo likes the shoes.
😁
Just two weeks to go before the Indian edition of New World Empires: Cultures of Power & Governance in the Americas is out from Manohar, New Delhi 😁:
January 9, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Just two weeks to go before the Indian edition of New World Empires: Cultures of Power & Governance in the Americas is out from Manohar, New Delhi 😁:
Every government on climate change:
December 29, 2024 at 4:06 AM
Every government on climate change:
Milton’s Mandarins:
December 17, 2024 at 2:27 PM
Milton’s Mandarins:
The origin of species:
December 16, 2024 at 5:34 PM
The origin of species: