HOW EMPIRE EMPOWERED INDIANS: LOOKING FROM LOW

Author Name: Bijender Singh

Volume/Issue: 03/06

Country: India

DOI NO.: 08.2020-25662434 DOI Link: https://www.doi-ds.org/doilink/12.2022-63459147/UIJIR

Affiliation:

Associate Professor, Dept.of English, Indira Gandhi University, Meerpur, Rewari Haryana-123401India.

ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to explore if empire has really empowered, in any form, any section among colonised contrary to the notion of disempowerment by empire. Undoubtedly, imperialism looted, exploited, discriminated and robbed the people of their economy, religion and cultural value system across world. But, contrarily it has proved a boon for colonised-of-colonised, to say, slaves-of-slaves. In India, majority of people were enslaved on axis of caste, class, gender, race and ethnicity. Among these, women and Dalits were in pathetic conditions as they were discriminated, exploited and subjugated by andocentric and caste society. Dalits were deprived of their merest human rights. They were treated not as human beings but as animals or worse than animals. Likewise, the conditions of women, in general, were inhuman whereas conditions of Dalits women are needless to mention. In the situations, how did the many-fold marginalized get empowered? In this backdrop, this paper raises the questions as to what were the factors that contributed to their empowerment. To what extent, did these sections get empowered? Who rejects and who accepts the colonial legacy after independence and why? Thus this paper seeks to answer these questions based on some historical facts and scrutiny of some literary narratives.

Key words: Empire, Empower, low, Caste, Gender