Postcolonial Resistance and Cultural Hybridity in Modern Urdū Literature: A Study of Selected Works by Saʿādat Ḥasan Manṭo and Paig̲h̲ām Āfāqī
Arifur Rahaman Mollah
DOI:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23584826
Abstract: Modern Urdū literature, forged in the fires of British colonialism, the cataclysmic Partition of 1947, and the subsequent postcolonial realities of nation-building in India and Pakistan, stands as a vibrant arena for examining power dynamics, fractured identities, and cultural negotiations. This article delves deeply into the themes of postcolonial resistance and cultural hybridity through the selected works of two pivotal figures: Saʿādat Ḥasan Manṭo (1912–1955) and Paighām Āfāqī (1956–2016). Employing Homi K. Bhabha’s seminal concepts of hybridity, mimicry, and the “third space of enunciation,” Edward Said’s critique of Orientalism, and Frantz Fanon’s explorations of colonial violence and decolonization, the study illustrates how these writers actively contest colonial legacies, communal fractures, bureaucratic absurdities, and neocolonial structures.
Manṭo’s Partition-era short stories— “Ṭobā Ṭek Singh,” “Khol Do,” and “Thanda Gosht”—offer visceral portrayals of the madness, bodily violation, and moral collapse induced by borders and riots. Āfāqī’s novels Makān (1989) and Paleeta (2011) extend this interrogation into the urban landscapes of independent India, chronicling alienation, political cynicism, gender struggles, and the hybrid cultural fabric of contemporary life. Through extensive close textual analysis, numerous direct quotations with page references from established English translations and Urdū editions where applicable, biographical contextualization, and sustained theoretical engagement, this article posits that Urdū literature functions not as passive reflection but as a potent form of active resistance. It forges hybrid identities that subvert monolithic nationalist and colonial narratives, creating empowering “third spaces” of cultural enunciation.
Keywords: Postcolonial resistance, Cultural Hybridity, Manṭo, Paig̲h̲ām Āfāqī
Arifur Rahaman Mollah received his master’s degree from the Department of Islamic Theology, Aliah University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He is an Assistant Teacher at Majaherul Uloom Islamia Senior Madrasah, Howrah, WB. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. at the same university. His areas of interest include comparative religion and religious history, especially Islam. He has also attended many national and international seminars in his areas of interest. Mr. Mollah is a passionate researcher who is actively engaged in pursuing research through various national and international seminars.
Email: arifurmollah14@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9066-7358
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
