The decline and fall of the Mughal Empire mirrors the weakening of the Pakistani state.

When state authority collapses, its institutions disintegrate and the fabric of society fragments. In the absence of authority, gangs and mafias emerge to fulfill their own interests.

As the central control weakens, a feudal culture emerges, while provincial powers gain strength and attempt to establish an autonomous presence in their respective areas.

In these circumstances, there is no law and order, crime is rampant and the common people have no security.

Not requiring state support, the wealthy and rich make their own arrangements for security and protection.

Taking advantage of the decline of the Roman Empire, the Germanic tribes invaded and finally occupied Rome. Unable to defend the city, the nobility retired to their countryside villas leaving the common people at the mercy of the invaders.

As the empire collapsed, small feudal states emerged and engaged in continuous warfare against each other to expand their territories and plunder the resources of others. The chaos and turmoil led Europe into the Dark Ages.

As a consequence, European civilisation ceased to progress while the hold of the Catholic Church strengthened. All knowledge was controlled by religious authorities and the society was pushed towards backwardness.

Fanaticism prevailed in every aspect of society. This situation continued up to the 8th century AD when Charlemagne (d.814) built the Holy Roman Empire by uniting the small states.

A similar situation occurred when the Abbasid caliphate declined, the feudal system began to take root and small states emerged in the eastern and western part of the Caliphate.

In the subcontinent, after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707; decline set in for the Mughal Empire and a rapid process of disintegration followed with the Marathas, the Jats, the Rohellas and the Sikhs becoming empowered.

The states of Awadh, Deccan and Murshidabad became autonomous. After losing authority, the Mughal state confronted external as well as internal challenges. As Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India, the Mughal state was in no position to defend itself. Both looted, plundered and took the wealth of India to Afghanistan.

The Marathas became powerful and conquered most of the Mughal empire. Though they were defeated by Ahmad Shah Abdali in the battle of Panipat in 1761, their power was not fully crushed and they soon recovered from their wounds and occupied Delhi while the Mughal emperor was reduced to a mere puppet.

In Punjab, armed groups of Sikhs threatened the Mughals, whose authority by now was so weak that they could no longer deal with the attacks.

Roads and highways became unsafe because of robbers, bandits and thugs damaging trade and commerce and resulting in commercial and financial crises. The cities were no longer safe and armed groups of mercenary soldiers roamed from one place to another to sell their services to the rulers of petty states. While they were unemployed, they would raid and ransack the unprotected towns and cities.

In 1757, the East India Company won the battle of Plassey followed by the battle of Buxer in 1764; establishing their rule in Bengal and North India. In 1803, the company occupied Delhi by expelling the Marathas and eventually the Mughal emperor came under the control of the East India Company which didn’t take long to realise that in order to gain popularity and legitimacy, it was essential to end political chaos and to establish peace and order. Once that was achieved, the authority of the state became stable and the rule of the company was recognised.

Presently, the situation in Pakistan is somewhat similar to the decline of the Mughal Empire. The central authority has lost control while gangs of criminal mafias and war lords have emerged unchallenged. The common man has no security and protection while the elite class remains secure as they can afford to employ private security guards to protect their property.

As the institutions of the state degenerate and disintegrate; corruption prevails and people have no source for justice. The state is challenged by nationalist groups as well as religious elements. Disappointed and disillusioned, as there are no solutions to their problems; people have begun to doubt the survival of the state — the ultimate question being who will fill the void created by the collapse of state authority?