Allama Rashid Al Khairy’s Fiction: Nationalism, Anti-Colonialism, and Civilizational Clash (Postcolonial Studies)

Abstract

Allama Rashid Al Khairy is among the first fiction writers. He was a popular fiction writer of his time. In the tradition of Urdu fiction, he is known as a Romantic fiction writer. However, he was aware of the political and social conditions and events of his time. Hindu-Muslim riots (non-unity) created under imperialism, the ideological domination of Urdu, were fully aware of the cultural hybridity between East and West. He raised the sentiments of Hindu-Muslim unity in his fiction. Instilled a sense of patriotism in Indians. Indian nationalism developed. By showing the dark face of Western colonialism and the clash between Western and Eastern civilizations, it promoted the Orientalist trend. They reject the colonialist narrative of the West, according to which the West is peaceful, civilized and humanitarian. They think it is bad to be influenced by western civilization. They teach deviation from the false imitation of the West. In this paper, the political, social, reformist and cultural fictions of Rashid al-Khairy are studied, which promote decolonial thought by highlighting the oriental, national and local style of feeling. This type of study of Rashid al-Khairy's fictions is a priority, in which his decolonialist and orientalist and localist thought has been made the subject.