Mapping Identity: Qurratulain Hyder’s Return to Roots in Kār-e Jahān Darāz Hai (Vols. I and II)
Naila Anjum
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16535511
Abstract. While Aag ka Darya (River of Fire) is often hailed as Qurratulain Hyder’s magnum opus, Kār-e Jahān Darāz Hai (affairs of the world are endless), rivals it in scope and depth, particularly in its epic treatment of familial and historical rupture. Kār-e Jahān Darāz Hai (2003), is Hyder’s sweeping, three-volume family saga that traces her ancestral roots and identity. The narrative begins in the turbulent eighth-century Arabia and unfolds across centuries, intricately linking personal history with larger historical events. Despite her towering literary achievements, Hyder’s work has remained underrecognized on the global stage, primarily due to limited translations. Nobel Laureate J.M.G. Le Clézio acknowledged her literary genius in his 2008 Nobel acceptance speech, and critics like Aamer Hussein have likened her to Gabriel García Márquez. However, Kār-e Jahān Darāz Hai remains untranslated, creating a gap for English readers.[1] This paper employs a close reading of Hyder’s Kār-e Jahān Darāz Hai (vols I and II) to explore its thematic preoccupations with identity, ancestry, and belonging. I have also translated some passages from the book, thereby, introducing the richness of Hyder’s work to an English-speaking audience while exploring its profound engagement with themes of identity, belonging, and historical continuity.
Keywords. Kār-e Jahān Darāz Hai, Qurratulain Hyder, multiple identities, Partition of India, translation
[1] The recently published anthology At Home in India comprises a cross-section of Hyder’s works across genres. It includes a long section on Kār-e Jahān Darāz Hai where some of its parts have been translated into English for the first time. Therefore, it is an invaluable source for Hyder scholars. A 4-volume Hindi version of Kār-e Jahān Darāz Hai was published in 2020 by Vani Prakashan available at a price of Rs.6000 only.
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Naila Anjum is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Bharati College, University of Delhi. She holds a Ph.D. degree from JNU. Her areas of interest are Postcolonial literatures, Partition Studies, Gender Studies and ELT. She has presented papers in national and international seminars and translated short stories from Urdu to English for Katha(2004). Her book reviews have been published in The Book Review (August 2002), The Critical Practice (vol ix, no.1, Jan 2002), The Annual of Urdu Studies (vol 17, 2002) and The Sunday Guardian (July 26th, 2014). Her papers have been published in Indian Literature (May/ June 2016) and the Journal of Literature and Aesthetics (Jan-June 2023) amongst others.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4326-2040
Email: naila.anjum@bharati.du.ac.in
Mapping Identity: Qurratulain Hyder’s Return to Roots in Kār-e Jahān Darāz Hai (Vols. I and II) © 2025 by Naila Anjum is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
