Post-Independence Colonial Impacts on the Political Development of Pakistan: The Bureaucracy

The ethos of every postcolonial country was shaped by the way in which it secured its independence, therefore in analyzing the political development of Pakistan from its creation one must consider the related development of India prior to Partition, exploring the nature of colonial rule and it’s far reaching impacts on the political development of Pakistan after independence. While India has seen innumerable kingdoms rise and fall and many waves of invasions, the British encroachment in India from the 18th century onwards, particularly the direct incorporation of India as the jewel of the British Empire in 1857, was unique in that it wrenched the locus of political and economic control away from the Subcontinent to Europe. However, many British residents in India ‘went native’, by adopting local religion and culture. The British loved India, whether residents such as Rudyard Kipling or the ruling elite in Britain (e.g. Queen Victoria had Indian servants and companions). The British cultivated an elite group of administrators from the powerful indigenous landowners and middle-class professionals (the latter of whom were mainly from Hindu castes), which helped the British to consolidate their vested interests to strengthen their rule in India. The amalgamated British army consisted of Indian and British soldiers under the command of British officers. This paper discusses in detail the impacts of British colonial rule in the Subcontinent with special reference to post-independence Pakistan drawing on archival records and other written materials on the subject.

Synthesis of Purine Derivatives As Potential Antithyroid Agents

Various purine derivatives mainly 6 and 8-substituted sulfanylpurines were synthesized and evaluated for their potential antithyroid activity. The basic theme of the research work originated from the idea of combining the two most popular existing antithyroid drugs, namely propylthiouracil (1) and methimazole (2), into a single molecule to get the combined effect of both drugs through a single compound. Interestingly it resulted in 2,8-disulfanyl-1,9-dihydro-6H-purin-6-one (86). The compound was prepared using known method and three major series along with some individual compounds were also synthesized because the structural properties of the purines and their ability to complex with molecular iodine made them potential antithyroid compounds. In this regard, a series of 8-(alkylsulfanyl)-3,9-dihydro-1H- purine-2,6-diones (144-148) was synthesized using 8-sulfanyl-5,9-dihydro-1H-purine- 2,6-dione (84) and respective alkyl halides in aqueous solution; a second series of 6- (Alkylsulfanyl)-9H-purines (149-159) was synthesized using 6-sulfanylpurine monohydrate and respective alkyl halides in aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. Similarly, ethyl (9H-purin-6-ylsulfanyl)acetate (162) was synthesized using 6- sulfanylpurine monohydrate, triethylamine and ethyl chloroacetate in ethanol and 2-(9H- purin-6-sulfanyl)acetohydrazide (163). Ethyl (9H-purin-6-sulfanyl)acetate (162) and hydrazine hydrate were refluxed in ethanol to get the desired product. Both conventional and microwave assisted methods were used. Microwave assisted heating reduced the reaction time and improved the yield. A series of N''-[Substituted phenylmethylidene]-2- (79-purin-6-sulfanyl)acetohydrazides (164-172) was also synthesized by heating 163 and substituted benzaldehydes in ethanol under reflux. The compounds were studied in vitro as well as in vivo for determining their antithyroid effects. Fortunately, most of them showed significant antithyroid activity with a few to be exceptionally good in this respect. The successful exposition of the synthesized compounds endorsed the idea of the research programme. It is certainly not the end but a new start. The 6 and 8 substituted purine derivatives may now be categorized as a new class of antithyroid agents. These compounds can be used as alternate drugs for popular benefit after completing the requisite procedures like evaluation of cytotoxicity, determining metabolic route and clinical trial etc.