Themes of Twilight in Delhi by Ahmed Ali

Themes of Twilight in Delhi

Twilight in Delhi by Ahmed Ali is a masterpiece of Indian literature that presents the cultural and social changes in pre-partition Delhi. The novel is set in the last years of the Mughal Empire and describes the decline of the traditional Islamic culture, the rise of British imperialism and the emergence of a new class of educated Muslims who are insensitive to their rich cultural heritage.

The themes in Twilight in Delhi underline the overall message that the old and traditional ways are being replaced by modernization, and intermingling with the British culture, and therefore the identity of the Indian people is in danger of being lost, along with the richness of the Indian culture which had developed over centuries.

One of the main themes in the novel is the clash between the old traditional lifestyle and the new modernistic way of life. Delhi's traditional and conservative society, depicted through Mir Nihal's family, is in a state of shock, unable to adjust to the changing world. Mir Nihal represents the voice of conservative Delhi, particularly when voicing his opposition to Nizamuddin Ahmad’s choice of a realist view of the city by portraying it's flaws and weaknesses through simple descriptions of the people's lifestyle and behaviors that is observed by him. This clash is seen throughout the novel, particularly in Nizam's depictions of the city and its people, showing how the traditional Muslim society was eroding under the British influence.

Another theme highlighted is the exploitation of the Indian population by the British Empire. The novel emphasizes the British rule and how it changed the Indian way of life. The British are portrayed as brutal and callous, indifferent to the lives and the cultural heritage of the Indian people. The novel portrays their presence as an insult to traditional Indian values, as for instance, the character of Mir Nihal expresses in the book about the decadent and immoral ways of the British.

The novel also presents the theme of the loss of identity and cultural heritage. The novel portrays the decline of traditional Islamic culture and suggests that Indian society is losing its sense of identity and cultural heritage. The impact of the British on traditional Indian society made them forget their own culture that had developed over centuries, leave alone preserving it, and simultaneously influenced the native Indian culture with foreign ideas and practices which ultimately started to define the new Indian way of life.

Thus, Twilight in Delhi, through its themes, portrays the transformation of Indian society in response to British colonialism that disrupted its traditional way of life and erased its cultural heritage. It illustrates with melancholy the tragedy of the loss of traditional ways and cultural heritage to the rise of a modernistic world.

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