خواتین کے اردو ناولوں میں پس نوآبادیاتی تناظر میں معاشی استحصال کی عکاسی

A REFLECTION OF POST COLONIAL ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION BY FEMALE URDU NOVELISTS

Abstract

The economic dimensions of postcolonialism are reflected in Urdu novels in a highly effective and realistic manner, with women novelists also making significant contributions in this regard. Urdu novelists have explored various issues arising from the colonial system, including economic disparities, the unequal distribution of resources, transformations in agricultural and industrial structures, feudal and capitalist exploitation, poverty, unemployment, class differences, and economic dependency. These novels demonstrate that the economic policies of the colonial era were not confined to their own time; rather, their effects continued to shape social and economic life long after independence. Many novels portray the lives of peasants, labourers, lower social classes, and marginalized communities in ways that reveal their economic hardships as part of a broader historical and exploitative system. Similarly, some novels address global capitalism, consumerism, privatization, the monopoly of powerful classes over resources, and the growing trends of economic inequality. These representations suggest that although colonial exploitation has transformed its forms over time, its fundamental nature continues to persist within various economic structures and power relations. In this context, the Urdu novel not only exposes the consequences of the colonial economic legacy but also sheds thought-provoking light on the need for economic justice, autonomy, and the restoration of human dignity. The present research examines selected works by women novelists from this perspective.