Religion-Oriented Signifiers of Urdu Ghazal and its Ideological Dimensions

(with Special Perspective of Colonial and Neo-Colonial Era)

Abstract

It is a very common research paradigm termed as ‘‘literal sociology’’ to discuss a social fabric in the light of literary text and likewise the literary content in the perspective of social environment. In this article we are going to repeat such practice focusing on a particular school of thought concerned with the downfall of Muslim Ummah and her strategic way-forward in the light of Urdu ghazal textualized in the contemporary neo-colonial environment of ours. First specific phase of this genre pertaining to the colonization period (1757-1857) shows the mental retreat of indigenous population and prevailing newly introduced imperial narrative in the perspective of Muslim-dominated society. The second phase (1857-1947) reflects imperialistic mechanism, its acquisitions and the three-folded (Defensive, offensive and diplomatic) reactionary activities of the colonized having some ethnic blend. In this era colonized Islamic Ideology was disseminated in the subjects by specially organized literary and academic activities. The third and the most critical phase (1947 to date) is revived form of colonization termed as “neo-colonialism” which seems to be the worst form of imperialism due to its more sophisticated strategies then that of the previous military type control. There are various shades of determinism, ambivalence, reluctance and despair in this period-specific ghazal enough to signify the parallel Muslim Ummah’s stand point.