HISTORIA
Professor Emeritus · Historian

Prof. Dr. Sayed
Wiqar Ali Shah

  • Professor Emeritus in History (Present)
  • Former Acting Vice Chancellor, Quaid-i-Azam University
  • Former Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, QAU
  • Former Tenured Professor of History, QAU
  • Former Chairman, Dept. of Pakistan Studies, NUML
Prof. Dr. Sayed Wiqar Ali Shah
40+
Years in Academia
10+
Published Books
50+
Research Articles
Oxford
D.Phil 1997
About

Scholar of South Asian History

"A historian's task is not merely to record the past, but to give voice to those who shaped it."

Prof. Dr. Sayed Wiqar Ali Shah is one of Pakistan's most distinguished historians, renowned for his authoritative scholarship on Pashtun nationalism, the Khudai Khidmatgaar movement, and colonial-era South Asian politics. His D.Phil from the University of Oxford (1997) — completed under the supervision of Prof. Judith M. Brown, Beit Professor of Commonwealth History — cemented his standing as a leading authority on the North-West Frontier Province.

Over four decades at Quaid-i-Azam University, he rose from tenured Professor to Dean of Social Sciences and Acting Vice Chancellor. Writing in English, Pashto, and Urdu, his scholarship bridges archival rigour and accessible prose — bringing Pashtun identity to both academic and popular audiences worldwide.

Education

Oxford, United Kingdom
Specialising on the Khudai Khidmatgaar Movement 1937–1947. Dissertation: "Muslim Politics in the North West Frontier Province 1937–1947". Supervised by Prof. Dr. Judith M. Brown, Beit Professor of Commonwealth History, alongside Prof. David Washbrook and Prof. Richard Gombrich.

Peshawar, Pakistan
Dissertation: "Muslim League in NWFP". First research scholar produced by the History Department of Peshawar University. Supervised by Prof. Dr. Lal Baha (Late), an authority on the North-West Frontier Province.

Peshawar, Pakistan
Gold Medal in History. Recipient of the Sir Steven Runciman Award from the British Council for the best student of History.

Peshawar, Pakistan
Motivated by a deep love for Khushal Khan Khattak and Pashtoon nationalism. This second Masters enabled advanced study of modern Pashto literary trends and techniques.
Selected Works

Books & Monographs

1999
Ethnicity, Islam and Nationalism
Muslim Politics in the North-West Frontier Province (KPK) 1937–1947
Oxford University Press
English
2007
North-West Frontier Province
History and Politics — A comprehensive account of the region's colonial legacy
Royal Book Company
English
2012
Pashtoon Women and the National Service
Documenting the role of Pashtun women in the nationalist movement
Area Study Centre, Peshawar
Pashto
1992
Muslim League in the NWFP
A pioneering historical study based on primary archival research
Royal Book Company
English
1992
Khushal Khan Khattak and Historiography
Analysis of the great Pashtun poet-warrior's historical methodology
Pashto Academy
Pashto
1990
The Pir of Manki Sharif's Political Biography
Political life of Syed Amin al-Hasanat and his Jihad
Institute of Policy Studies
Urdu
2019
Alaf Jan Khattaka: A Historical Personality
Yo Tarikhsaaz Shaksiat — a Pashto study of this historical figure
Pashto Academy
Pashto
2019
Ghazi Amanullah Khan
Da Afghanistan Da Azadi Sarkhail — Torchbearer of Afghan independence
Pashto Academy
Pashto
Academic Output

Research Publications

2015 Ghalla Dher Movement: Agrarian Unrest in NWFP during the First Congress Ministry 1937–1939 English
2014 Afghanistan at the Crossroads: Withdrawal of Foreign Troops, Peace Negotiations and Significance English
2013 The 1930 Civil Disobedience Movement in Peshawar Valley from the Pashtoon Perspective English
2013 Fencing of the Durand Line and its Impact English
2012 Political Reforms in FATA: Will It End the Militancy? English
2009 Pakistan and Afghanistan in the Context of 9/11 – Current Situation English
2008 Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the Khudai Khidmatgars, Congress and the Partition of India English
2005 Abdul Ghaffar Khan English
Lectures & Talks

Featured Seminars

01
Role of Women in the Nationalist Movement
2018
02
Witness to the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
2017
03
Non-violence & Abdul Ghani Khan
2019
04
Qissa Khwani Massacre — April 23rd, 1930
2016
05
Ghani Khan: Life & Times
2019
06
Sindh: History & Culture
2015
07
Pakistan Resolution Day Celebration 1940
2019
08
Mother Languages Day — Khushal Khan Khattak
2020
Get in Touch

Contact & Correspondence

Prof. Dr. Sayed Wiqar Ali Shah welcomes inquiries from researchers, students, journalists, and institutions interested in South Asian history, Pashtun nationalism, and related scholarly work.

Institution Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad
Expertise South Asian History · Pashtun Nationalism · Colonial Politics
Languages English · Pashto · Urdu