other · South Asia

Dominion of Pakistan

1947 CE – 1956 CE · capital Karachi

Pakistan's first form as an independent state, a dominion of the British Commonwealth in two wings separated by a thousand miles of India.

Origins

The demand for a separate homeland for Muslims, adopted by the All-India Muslim League in the Lahore Resolution of 1940, led to the partition of the British Raj. On 14 August 1947 the Dominion of Pakistan came into being, with Muhammad Ali Jinnah as Governor-General and Karachi as capital, comprising West Pakistan and East Bengal.

Rule and society

The new state faced the upheaval of partition, with millions of refugees and massacres, and war with the Dominion of India over Kashmir in 1947 to 1948. Jinnah died in 1948 and prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated in 1951. The Objectives Resolution of 1949 set Islamic principles for a constitution, while the Bengali Language Movement of 1952 exposed tensions between the two wings.

Decline and legacy

After years of constitutional deadlock and the dismissal of the Constituent Assembly in 1954, a constitution was adopted on 23 March 1956, declaring the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and ending dominion status.

Lineage

Bahawalpur State 1748 CE – 1955 CEKhairpur State 1783 CE – 1955 CEBritish Raj 1858 CE – 1947 CEBaluchistan States Union 1952 CE – 1955 CEDominion of PakistanIslamic Republic of Pakistan 1956 CE – present

Connections (11)

  • Chitral State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1947 CE – 1956 CE
  • Swat State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1947 CE – 1956 CE
  • Amb State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1947 CE – 1956 CE
  • Phulra State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1947 CE – 1956 CE
  • Hunza State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1947 CE – 1956 CE
  • Nagar State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1947 CE – 1956 CE
  • Khanate of Kalat was part of Dominion of Pakistan1948 CE – 1956 CE
  • Dir State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1948 CE – 1956 CE
  • Las Bela State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1948 CE – 1956 CE
  • Kharan State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1948 CE – 1956 CE
  • Makran State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1948 CE – 1956 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Dominion of Pakistan. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dominion-of-pakistan
MLA
“Dominion of Pakistan.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dominion-of-pakistan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Dominion of Pakistan.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dominion-of-pakistan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Dominion of Pakistan’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dominion-of-pakistan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻