This presentation try to answer two questions which are, How and Why Pakistani culture is amalgamation of different cultures? The answer to these questions lies in...

2. Pakistani Culture is the Amalgamation
of Different Cultures
M. Salman Adullah|M. Safeer Ul Azeem Abbasi

3. 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.

4. 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. Geography
2. Language
3. Historical Background
of this continent.

5. Geography

6. 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.

7. Historical Background
• Pre Islamic
• Hindu
• Sikh
• Sanskrit
• Advent of Islamic & Arabs
• Muhammad Bin Qasim
• Abbasi Caliphs
• Mughal Empire
• British Rule
• Independence

8. Pakistani Culture Western
Culture
Turkish Culture
Persian Culture
Central Asia and West Asia
Subcontinent Culture
Islamic & Arabic Culture

9. Islamic Culture

10. 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,

11. Islamic Culture
• Names

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

13. Arab Culture

14. Arab Culture
• Poetry & Literature
• Architecture
• Bedouin
• Sports
• Horse Racing
• Tent pegging
• Music
• Daf

15. Western Culture

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

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

18. Pakistani Culture

19. Pakistani Culture
• Culture of Pakistan ِ‫ثقافت‬‫پاکستان‬ 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.

20. Architecture of Pakistan

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. Architecture of Persia
Tomb of Bibi Jawindi Tomb of the Shah Rukn-i-Alam

24. 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.

25. Architecture of the Delhi Sultanate

26. 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.

27. Wazir Khan Mosque

28. Wazir Khan Mosque

29. Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta

30. 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.

31. Mohatta Palace colonial Architecture

32. 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.

35. Pakistan and Turkish Architecture

36. 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.

37. Marriage in Pakistan

38. Marriage in Pakistan
Arranged 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.

39. Marriage in Pakistan
Marriage 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.

40. Marriage in Pakistan
Marriage 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.

41. Marriage in Pakistan
Dholki
• 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.

42. Marriage in Pakistan
Mehndi
• 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.

43. Marriage in Pakistan
Mehndi
• 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.

44. Marriage in Pakistan
Mehndi
• 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.

45. Marriage in Pakistan
Mahr
• 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.

46. Marriage in Pakistan
Baraat
• 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.

48. Marriage in Pakistan
Nikah
• If the couple are Muslim, a Nikkah is performed. Nikkah ‫كاح‬ِ‫ن‬ ,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.

49. Marriage in Pakistan
Nikha
• 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.

50. Marriage in Pakistan
Rukhsati

51. Marriage in Pakistan
Rukhsati
• The Rukhsati ‫خصتی‬ُ‫ر‬ 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.

52. Marriage in Pakistan
Walima
• 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.

53. 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.

54. Funeral in Pakistan

55. 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.

56. 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).

57. Cuisine

58. 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.

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