PAKISTANI LITERATURE

ASSIGNMENT NO. 2

4th Semester
Topic: Discuss “Twilight in
Delhi as a Mirror of
Pakistani Literature.

Submitted To:
Sir Asif Javed Sb
Submitted By:

Muhammad Aqeel Hayder

Roll No: 36
Section: B
BAHAUDDIN ZAKARYIA UNIVERSITY SUB CAMPUS SAHIWAL
 Discuss Twilight in Delhi as Mirror of Pakistani Culture
Twilight in Delhi is written by Ahmed Ali in 1940. The writer is famous for its
postcolonial writings. Critics have rated “Twilight in Delhi” as the finest of the novels
written in English language. Its plot, structure and style everything is remarkable.
Twilight in Delhi focuses on the culture of colonial India. The city Delhi has faced many
ups and downs of Muslim’s rule. It had culture and social orders of its own. Later on this
culture was shifted to Pakistan after Partition. Muslims have a great history in
subcontinent. According to Khademul Islam:

“Muslim rule in India began to derail with the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, and
finally went off track in the aftermath of 1857.”

Although Twilight in Delhi has been written before the creation of Pakistan still it reflects
the Pakistani culture broadly. Pakistani culture is derived from the subcontinent. The
reason is that Muslims have ruled more than 1000 years. This was a unique culture and
enriched with a great civilization. Muslims introduced various new traditions in colonial
India and they made it a great civilized nation. But after the British invasion on sub-
continent Muslim civilization was at stake. Only Muslims have to face the wrath of the
Britishers. It is the decline and eventual death of Delhi Muslim culture in the wake of the
collapse of the Mughals. So Ahmed Ali has described the ups and downs of Muslim
culture.

In fact unconsciously the writer was describing the culture of upcoming Pakistan.
Twilight in Delhi reflects the Pakistani culture as well it seems that it is the story of a
Pakistani family and civilization. It looks the story of today’s Pakistan although the
traditions have changed now but today’s there are a lot of traditions exits which have
been describe d by the writer in Twilight in Delhi. There are various similarities between
Muslim society of colonial India and Pakistani culture e.g Muslim civilization,
traditional Muslim family, hobbies, hate against English people, love stories, role of
women

Similarities of Hobbies in both Cultures:

In Delhi, the past time for most nobles was pigeon flying and kite flying. Mir Nihal had
his own flock of fifty rare pigeons comprising of black ones, the white ones, the red ones
and the blue ones. His pigeons were the most well trained in Delhi, and it had taken him
three to four months to train them. Pigeon flying was an exclusive hobby of Muslim
nobles.
Same hobbies are also present in Pakistani culture and most of the people love pigeon
flying and kite flying as shown in the novel by Ahmed Ali. Kite flying has become one
of the festivals in Pakistan.

Reflection of Architecture Heritage:

After the partition some historical monuments came as an asset of Pakistan which tells
the glory and downfall of the Muslim civilization.

Only some monuments remain to tell its sad story and to remind us of the glory and
splendour of a Qutab Minar or Humayun’s Tomb, the Old Fort or the Jamia
Mosque. The lost pride of Muslims as a nation due to subjugation and deprivation as a
result of colonial rule is clearly evident and the glory of past, when they were almost a
super power are reflected in a nostalgic tone. The grandeur of buildings and monuments
of Muslim era were an epitome of Muslim civilization and were a testimony not only to
the aesthetic sense of the Muslims but a reminder that they excelled in the available
technology of the day. The text examines the issue of hybridity. Colonial rule had
influenced life and culture in the sub-continent.

Similarity regarding hate against the foreigners:

An aggregation of opposites led to a clash between the old and new. Mir Nihal symbolic
of the ‘old order’ and his son Asghar representative of the ‘new order’ demonstrate
polarity. Under the influence of western culture, Asghar dresses up like English man,
which offends his father:

‘You are again wearing those dirty English boots! I don’t like them. I will have no
aping of the Farangis in my house. Throw them away”.

Same aggregation is still found in Pakistani culture although the intensity has changed
with the passage of time. By naming the British as ‘Farangi’, Mir Nihal shows his disdain
and hatred for the colonizer and the new culture imposed by them. The emergence of this
cross cultural exchange is much resented by the writer, Ahmad Ali, who believes this
alarming trend would lead to an imbalance and inequality of power relations between the
colonizer and the colonized. In his view cultural differences serve as a mark of
identification between nations and should be retained.
Hybrid Culture:
A hybrid culture which had nothing in it of the past was forcing itself upon Hindustan a
Hodge – podge of Indian and western way…The richness of life had been looted and
despoiled by the foreigners and vulgarity and cheapness had taken its place. Same
condition is still prevailing in Pakistani society. At present age Pakistani culture has been
attacked by foreign culture and like Asghar our young generation is also adopting foreign
culture rapidly. Same kind of culture adoption is prevailing in present Pakistani culture.
The young generation has a strong inclination toward foreigner civilization and forgetting
old civilization and norms.

Miserable Plight of Women in both societies:

There is another similarity regarding the role of women in the colonial India and
Pakistani culture. In both societies the women are independent and they have not the
ability to change the decisions made by the male members of the family. Mir Nihal is a
dominant character in the novel and he shows his authoritative personality. As Asghar
also shows his decision in marrying to Bilqees and after marriage he shows carelessness
from Bilqees. This is also an integral part of Pakistani culture. Begum Nihal’s blindness
is very symbolic it shows her lack of comprehension in maintain the values with changed
social order in making proper decisions. Her blindness also shows blindness of women of
that age who were being unable to manage matters, were making futile attempts for their
false domination over others. The granddaughter of Bahadur Shah Zafar. Nasir-ulMulk
had been maimed by the British in 1857 and had since become a beggar to keep body and
soul together. Gul Bano survived on a pension of mere ten rupees granted ironically by
those who had usurped their kingdom. She went from house to house, but never begged
directly. She sang with reverence Bahadur Shah’s poems, written by him in his
banishment and earned some money. Gul Bano laments the by gone days: Our days are
gone daughter. We have been rendered poor by Fate. But we have still some self respect.
What does it matter if we are rulers no longer? We are still the descendants of the greatest
Kings of the world…We are beggars, and the Farangis are kings. For us there is only a
bed of thorns, and they sleep on the beds of roses... Yesterday we were the owners of
horses and elephants, slaves and territories. But they usurped our throne banished the
King, killed hundreds of princes before these unfortunate eyes which could not even go
blind, drank their blood and we could do nothing. The condition of women in Pakistani
culture is not different from the condition of those women depicted in the novel. Women
are dependent on the male members of the society. Women have not their part on
decision making. Same condition is also present in Pakistani society.
Similarity in Adopting English Language and Culture:
Another similarity is present in the novel is that adopting of English language and
culture. As Asghar is the symbol of a change in that society. He uses English dresses and
shoes despites that his father hates English people and their culture. Same condition is
prevailing in present Pakistani culture. Young generation is badly inclined toward hybrid
culture. Urdu is the National language of Pakistan but English is used as official
language.

Twentieth century saw a rapid change as English became the language of political debate
between the colonizer and the colonized. Many voices appeared from former colonies
who explored innovative styles and new linguistic strategies, which has became a mark of
their identity. Ali is an important voice from Pakistan in this context, his aim was to
impress upon the colonizer that people of the sub-continent had an illustrious past, a
history and a culture of their own, which was in no way less than that of the British. By
writing in English, he proved to them, that this was his way of ‘writing back to the
Empire’. The ‘appropriation’ of language by Ali is justified under the pretext that the
sub-continental experience had to alter and modify English as it is no longer the language
of the colonizer only.

Impact of Theocracy and Militancy in Both Cultures:

It was on the fourteenth day of September 1857, that most fateful day when Delhi fell
into the hands of the English…It was a Friday and thousands of Mussalmans had
gathered in the mosque to say their prayers. The invaders had succeeded at last in
breaking through the city wall after a battle lasting for four months and four days. Sir
Thomas Metcalf with his army was contemplating the destruction of the Jamia Masjid.
The Mussalmans came to know of this fact and they talked of making an attack on
Metcalf, but they had no guns with them only swords. One man got up and standing on
the pulpit shamed the people, saying that they would all die one day, but it was better to
die like men, fighting for their country and Islam. Mir Nahil narrates after hearing this
speech, the Mussalmans cried in unison, ‘Allah-o-Akbar’ and rushed out of the northern
gate. As Metcalf saw this fiery crowd with swords in their hands, he opened fire and as a
result hundreds of Muslims fell down dead on the steps of the mosque, coloring the red
stones of the mosque a deeper red with their blood. Ali delineates this extremely sad and
tragic incident of Muslim history.
Same situation exists in Pakistan. Militancy on huge scales is damaging Pakistani culture.
Theocracy urges people against foreigners and seduces the people for religious militancy
as the picture has been shown in “Twilight in Delhi”.

Reflection of Islamic culture of Colonizer India as Pakistani Culture:

The writer examines the great Indian centre of Muslim civilization, Delhi. As a
postcolonial text, it presents a society caught between the two phases, the centuries old
traditional customs and the new trends set in by the British. The plot is built round a
whole culture depicting life, customs and ceremonies of the declining Muslim feudal
culture in the sub-continent as colonial rule gets entrenched in India. The story revolves
around Mir Nahil and his household. It is a Muslim family. The text as a representative
literature of the era, demonstrates different episodes from the daily life. A typical day
begins in Delhi with the resonant voice of the moazzin calling the morning azaan. Far
and wide this golden voice called the faithful to the morning prayer, urging them to leave
their beds and arise from sleep, the Azzan carried forth a message of joy and hope,
penetrating into the by lanes and the courtyards echoing everywhere in the silent
atmosphere. By the depiction of the situation it feels that writer is writing the novel in
Pakistani culture because nothing looks different in respect of Muslim culture in both
societies. So it can be rightly said that “Twilight in Delhi” is the mirror of Pakistani
culture.

Same Language, rites and rituals:

There are also cultural similarities in the novel regarding colonizer and Pakistani culture.
As in the novel language, rites and rituals have great similarities. Religious festivals and
obligations, religious believes as shown in the novel are similarly adopted in Pakistani
culture. As Islamic teachings have universality. So Islamic depiction in the novel reflects
Pakistani culture. Pakistani culture is based on Islamic values, without it there is nothing
in Pakistani culture. So the novel clearly reflects Pakistani culture as well.

Prostitution and the both societies:

Mushtari Bai is one of the major characters of the novel and represents the prostitute or
dancing girl class of India. She symbolizes their feelings, desires, search for identity,
obsession for real love and their psychological state. Similar situation is also exists in
Pakistani culture. This culture has been transferred through Indian culture. Heera Mandi
is the example of prostitute culture in Pakistani culture.
Conclusion:
Twentieth century saw a rapid change as English became the language of political debate
between the colonizer and the colonized. Many voices appeared from former colonies
who explored innovative styles and new linguistic strategies, which has became a mark of
their identity. Ali is an important voice from Pakistan in this context, his aim was to
impress upon the colonizer that people of the sub-continent had an illustrious past, a
history and a culture of their own, which was in no way less than that of the British. By
writing in English, he proved to them, that this was his way of ‘writing back to the
Empire’. The ‘appropriation’ of language by Ali is justified under the pretext that the
sub-continental experience had to alter and modify English as it is no longer the language
of the colonizer only. The writer has depicted only the Muslim culture of Delhi and the
miserable downfall of the Muslim empire but novel has proved as a mirror of Pakistani
culture because the Muslim of colonizer India and the Muslims of Pakistani culture have
same Islamic cultures and that is the reason novel also reflects the glimpses of Pakistani
culture.