Religious and Cultural Conflict in the Pakistani Urdu Novel: A Critical Analysis of Identity, Existentialism, and Socio-Political Discourse

پاکستانی اردو ناول میں مذہبی اور ثقافتی کشمکش: شناخت، وجودیت، اور سماجی و سیاسی بیانیے  کا تنقیدی تجزیہ

Abstract

This study examines the central theme of religious–cultural conflict in Pakistani Urdu literature, positioning it as a defining element of South Asian literary consciousness. In the subcontinent, religion has historically operated as a collective force shaping socio-political identities rather than a purely personal belief system. The research traces this conflict across two phases: the pre-partition struggle between Hindu and Muslim civilisations, and the post-partition tensions among Islamic tradition, Western modernity, and divergent sectarian interpretations. Through qualitative textual analysis, the study explores existential and spiritual intersections in Abdullah Hussain’s Udaas Naslein, psychological fragmentation in Qurratulain Hyder’s Aag Ka Darya, and the clash between rationality and superstition in Anis Nagi’s Putliyan. It also investigates Mustansar Hussain Tarar’s portrayal of jihad as a shifting spiritual and geopolitical construct. The findings affirm the Pakistani Urdu novel as a vital socio-historical archive documenting evolving negotiations of faith, identity, and cultural survival.