The Contemporary Urdu Novel “Khass o Khshak Zmaney”: Manifestations of Social and Cultural Transformations A Research Study

معاصر اردو ناول ’’خس وخاشاک زمانے‘‘ میں سماجی و ثقافتی تغیرات کا تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

This study examines social transformation in Mustansar Hussain Tarar’s novel “Khas-o-Khashak Zamane” with particular emphasis on the changing structures of rural and urban society. The study explores how feudal authority, class hierarchy, family relations, caste, religious identity, urban expansion, consumer culture, migration, and displacement shape individual and collective life. The analysis demonstrates that social change in the novel is not presented as a simple transition from tradition to modernity; rather, traditional structures persist, transform, and interact with emerging social and economic forces. The movement from rural settings to urban spaces alters patterns of livelihood, social status, and interpersonal relationships, while migration and geographical displacement generate emotional alienation and identity crises across generations. The study argues that these transformations ultimately affect the individual’s sense of belonging, family bonds, and selfhood. Thus, the novel presents social transformation as a multidimensional process that reshapes both society and human identity.