Postcolonial Theory: North of India

Representation of Postcolonial Theory

Isabel García Aguilar (A01783709)

Intersectionality, Otherness and the Global Village

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Conceptions

Homi Bhabha

Empire

Culture

Geography

Mimicry

Ambivalence

Cultural hybridity

Ambivalence is manifested in the contradictory relationship between British colonizers and Indian colonized, who experience attraction and repulsion toward colonial culture, adopting British aspects while resisting domination.

Mimicry is reflected in Indians' attempts to imitate British culture but always with differences that maintain their identity.

Cultural hybridity is seen in the blending of Indian and British cultural traditions, creating new forms of cultural and literary expression that challenge the notion of cultural purity and colonial superiority.

References:


Bhabha, H. (1984). Of Mimicry and Man: The Ambivalence of Colonial Discourse. October, 28, 125-133. doi:10.2307/778467


Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS). https://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/research/multilingual-locals-and-significant-
geographies/case-studies/

In this text we can recognize the postcolonial theory talking about the popularity of literary texts and plays that were held in India.

First we are told of the parallel expansion of Persian texts in northern India, and that by 19c English began to impose itself as a language, to such a degree that Persian-Hindi texts began to be rejected by the society itself and began to stop producing profits, while English texts monetized at great rates.

Ximena Aviña Salcedo (A01781055)

We can also recover one of the discussions provided in the informative material, since many authors consider that postcolonial theory is a single period of history that came to an end. However, to this day there are still some traces of that period in society, customs and ways of thinking. This is evident in this case study since it is explained that for the contemporary era, certain translations are just beginning to be made, as in the case of the boom of Indian fiction in English.

Daniel Aliaga Argoytia (A01027565)

Throughout the 19th century, the British Empire managed to take hold of most of the Indian Subcontinent, as they expanded their borders by claiming land throughout the world. Therefore, the British created the British Raj in 1858, expanding their empire.

The current area is very extent, encompassing various countries including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which made the region really diverse, both physically and culturally. These region is mainly known for it's vast river system and the Himalayan Mountains.

This region is really culturally diverse, being the birthplace of many religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Additionally, there are many languages spoken in the region. This diversity can be traced back for hundreds of years. Due to the great population living on a relatively small place, these region has been a very important place for the human species for thousands of years.