India and Pakistan: The Role of State Construction and its Effects on Political Development

Despite a shared colonial history, India and Pakistan have undergone radically different political development. The former has emerged into the largest democracy in the world, whereas the latter has a long history of authoritarianism. This paper explores the role of the 1947 partition in facilitating this divergence. It finds that India inherited functional state institutions that were better equipped to handle salient political pressures. By continuously resolving tensions, democratic institutions continued to gain legitimacy and gradually consolidated. Pakistan, on the other hand, did not inherit an equivalent state apparatus. Rather, the state inherited weak political institutions and a strong military. When faced with exogenous shocks, the government was incapable of launching effective responses. The populace grew impatient, thereby prompting military intervention. After the first coup in 1958, the military gained legitimacy, whereas people lost confidence in democracy. Pakistan became primed for frequent authoritarian reversals. In India and Pakistan, the triumphs of powerful institutions reinforced their strength and usage. It is therefore concluded that the current state of affairs for both of these countries is deeply impacted by their unique histories.