Traditionally known as Jain Dharma, Jainism is an ancient Indian religion. Though Jains themselves claim it to be eternal, it came into prominence in India around the 5th century AD at the time when Vedic Hinduism was challenged by demands for reform of its ritualistic approach and the monopoly of Brahmans to conduct rituals.  Jainism…

Since they are also treated apart as a caste, not so much discriminated as the Dalits are we are addressing the subject separately. Tribal religions in the North, particularly the Northeast mountains of South Asia, believe in various ancient traditions of spiritualism known as animism and/or ancestor worshipping they believe in cosmic oneness where everything…

Dear Readers, The New Year was greeted with fireworks, music and crowds chanting “Happy New Year” in several world capitals, demonstrating the human resolve to be optimistic and keeping the hope aloft for a better tomorrow, whether this ever happens in reality is another matter. Having braved through the highs and mostly the lows of…

The world is changing, these changes are not going away, they are bound to stay. Getting caught up in our daily business we tend to lose sight of the greater picture, but to keep looking at what is going on in the world around us and some history of it is important to get the…

The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) originated with an inter-governmental agreement between Russia, Iran, India and Azerbaijan. A total of 13 countries (including Pakistan) have since ratified the agreement. The corridor would eventually stretch from Northern Europe all the way to Southeast Asia. Being stalled for many years, INSTC found renewed impetus in January 2016…

The world is changing, a new continent has come up in front of our eyes: Eurasia. Continents being defined as “main continuous expanses of land”, one wonders why Europe and Asia being very much a continuous land mass has throughout the centuries been perceived as two separate continents. One major reason may be that from…

Constituting all of North Asia, Siberia is an extensive geographical region vast and sparsely populated, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of Russia since the latter half of the 16th century, after the Russians conquered lands east of the Ural Mountains. Covering…

The historical Silk Road was a network of land trade routes connecting Asia and Europe; from the 2nd century BC to 18th century AD. It was central to the economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between these regions. Other than the crusades, this is an early example of peaceful globalization. Thereafter it fell into disuse…

Dear Readers, Pakistan’s leading atomic scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan (popularly known as AQ Khan) passed away in Islamabad at age 85, on Sunday October 10 after a protracted illness. Widely regarded as the founder of gas-centrifuge enrichment technology for Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent program, he is hailed as an icon, a national hero for transforming…