You're conflating generic factors to make your similarity argument. Agriculture revenues were main source of mughals because we were an agrarian economy. Agriculture revenues were main source of marathas too (chauth & sardeshmukhi). So Marathas and Mughals were same?RoyG wrote: For this reason you yourself can't see the parallels between the Pakjabi-Ashrafi nexus and the Mughals. Both are very similar in that their primary source of revenue was rent seeking both in terms of land and it's resource output. Collusive entities which engage in rent seeking behavior don't care about GDP numbers, talent generation, innovation, high end manufacturing, etc.
If your argument is 'Ulemas' - the religious class helps pakistani. It is right but this method is simply the use of religion as an administrative tool. By that means a lot of Islamic regimes use religion as state tool. So again this argument doesnt make it any more similar than any other states and empire that used religion as a state tool of control.RoyG wrote:
Don't look at it as BJP translates directly to Marathas or Pak Army to Mughals. Look at the situation from the lens of clerical class which sustains it. The collusive entity which has captured the state is in decline and the Ulema is very concerned.
As far as the decline of industry until British arrived, this is incorrect to an extent for two reasons. The biggest beneficiaries of the agrarians and industrial output to the detriment of the population were the Mughal families and dalals both Hindu and Muslim which sustained it. Second, there were no major centers of learning which were created during the Mughal period which prevented the subcontinent from competing long term with the European powers. Again you can be the richest or poorest state but the behavior itself (rent seeking) is the same. I have no idea about the Guptas and the cause of their decline but for the reasons mentioned above I do see very striking parallels between now and the early 18th century.
What many don't realize you can't kill Pakistan unless you destroy Ulema class across the subcontinent. The two can't be seen as separate. It has to be total wipe out.
Not developing education & tech excellence centres is hallmark of uncompetitive regime. All states that eventually fail do that.
Your criticism of pakistan is correct but their characterisation as being similar to mughal doesnt give any special insights into pakistan's decline. All your observations on pakistan's decline are true of any declining power and had religion play an important tool of state power.