As with Indira Gandhi, to understand Benazir Bhutto requires accurately locating her in the context of her family history. In Pakistan, apart from the family, a child is born into clan or tribal affiliations that act as a critical network for identity development. The honor of the clan is sacred and enmeshed with one’s own self-worth, and interdependence is the basis for social organization and self-perception. In Benazir’s case, the Bhutto clan’s fortune and prestige were well established in the country in the early 19th century by the legendary Dodo Khan Bhutto who warred ruthlessly with other tribes in order to acquire land.

Subsequent generations acquired more land, and their prestige increased, with Benazir’s great-great-great-grandfather regarded as the virtual Nawab (ruler) of the Pakistani province of Sindh after an alliance was made with the ruling Talpur family. This alliance established the Bhuttos among the elite families in the area, and this position was the foundation both for Benazir’s father, Zulfiqar, and Benazir herself to move into political leadership roles.