Ibn ul Waqt, the
protagonist of Nazir Ahmed’s work, represents not only the colonized in the sub continent but details reform in the private life of an
Indian Muslim man at the time. True to the fact that the author introduces his English
lifestyle as voluntary -the continuous change in his actions,
thoughts, and his power (‘granted’ especially in Delhi) under the imperial
regime point towards the a crisis in the novel. If the common, educated man
feels that the maintenance of a high culture is the presence of an over arching
empire that regulates, one can say then, that nationalism and colonization
occur at opposing ends.
“Kisi qaum main sultanat
ka hona is baat ki kaafi daleel hai key is qaum key marasim, aadat, khayalat,
ifaal, aqwaal, harkaat, suknaat yaaney kul halaat farad farad nahin tou
mujtaman zarur behtar hain’[1]
“It was not a
secret that in his view, the very fact that a nation had an empire to rule was
a clear proof of the superiority of its customs and ceremonies, its habits and
thoughts, and words and deeds, that is all the conditions, collectively if not
individually.”
Where Ibn ul
Waqt feels mighty aligned eventually with the British -the feelings of
nationalism begin elsewhere when certain peoples find the colonizer’s education,
language and mannerisms impure and repugnant. The latter constitute of the Maulvis
in the school who wash their hands with sand upon contact with the English. Nationalism
falls back on religion, language and past glory, while colonization continues
to boast respect, intelligence, safety, technology and progress. The
Noble Sahab's speech to Ibn ul Waqt is a perfect example how cultures are put
to relative competition: "Hindustani jis qadr angrezon sey bhagtey hain,
ussi qadr izzat sey mehroom aur daulat sey bad naseeb hain."[2]
In
the sub continent, nationalism is then tied to some kind of exile as people are subject to simultaneous cultures and languages. Debating the
superiority of past and present, new and old; colonization causes an identity
crises and confusion. The choice to prefer and ally with either culture makes
reform and displacement consequential to imperialism. In his essay ‘Reflections
on Exile’, Edward Said says “Most people are principally aware of one culture,
one setting, one home; exiles are aware of at least two…”[3] which
explains why empire, culture and nativity aren't easily embraced or shunned by either the colonizer or the colonized - leaving one side exilic to the other together in a geographic space.
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