Eqbal Ahmad

About the Author

Eqbal Ahmad (1930-1999) was a renowned Pakistani political scientist, intellectual, and activist whose incisive writings profoundly influenced global discourse on imperialism, revolution, and the postcolonial world. Born in a small village in Bihar, India, he witnessed the partition's upheavals before pursuing higher education in the United States, where he earned a PhD from Princeton University. Ahmad's career spanned academia, journalism, and activism; he taught at universities like Cornell and Hampshire College, advised revolutionary movements in Algeria and Palestine, and contributed to publications such as The Nation and MERIP. His seminal work, Confronting Empire, critiques the structures of Western dominance and advocates for a nuanced understanding of Third World struggles. A polymath thinker, Ahmad bridged Eastern and Western perspectives, challenging orthodoxies with his eloquent, humane voice until his death in Islamabad.