The De-Colonial Perspective of Akbar Allahabadi's Poetry

اکبر الٰہ آبادی کی شاعری ردِ استعماری تناظر میں

Abstract

This research paper explores the de-colonial dimensions (Red-e-Iste'marit) within the poetry of the renowned Urdu satirist Akbar Allahabadi. Literature serves as a mirror to contemporary societal dynamics, and Urdu poets have historically wielded their pens as instruments of resistance against domestic oppression and foreign subjugation. Rather than relying purely on direct political rhetoric, Akbar employed wit, irony, and symbolism to expose the cultural, educational, and psychological dimensions of Western imperialism. Akbar's poetic trajectory is systematically analyzed across two primary phases: his early period, characterized by sharp critique of Westernization and Sir Syed Ahmed Khan's Aligarh Movement in the pages of Awadh Punch, and his later phase, which evolved toward political reform, national unity, and support for Mahatma Gandhi's de-colonial philosophy of non-violence. Through symbolic critiques of the Delhi Durbar, Charles Darwin's evolutionary theories, and the emergence of a submissive native bourgeoisie (or clerk culture), Akbar unmasked the hidden mechanisms of colonial hegemony (Ijaradari) and local opportunism. Ultimately, Akbar’s poetry transcends mere nostalgia, serving as a vital literary resistance that emphasizes civilizational selfhood (Khudi) and highlights the severe human cost of surrendering cultural heritage for superficial modern progress.