13.07.2015 Views

Politics, Public Issues and the Promotion of Urdu Literature: Avadh ...

Politics, Public Issues and the Promotion of Urdu Literature: Avadh ...

Politics, Public Issues and the Promotion of Urdu Literature: Avadh ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

94 • THE ANNUAL OF URDU STUDIESConclusionThis paper, while giving a preliminary overview <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rich material containedin AA, could only hint at some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> issues raised by <strong>the</strong> study <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> most influential <strong>and</strong> widely-read <strong>Urdu</strong> newspaper in nineteenth-centurycolonial India. AA merits much closer analysis for it <strong>of</strong>fers a primeexample <strong>of</strong> how, under <strong>the</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> colonialism, modern informationalculture took shape in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Urdu</strong> public sphere, while at <strong>the</strong> same time <strong>the</strong>forum for literature <strong>and</strong> literary discourse exp<strong>and</strong>ed into a new mediumthat was available to <strong>the</strong> general public across various regions <strong>and</strong> communities.As pointed out by M. Asaduddin, in engaging in an “intellectual-cultural-literaryencounter” between East <strong>and</strong> West, periodicals <strong>and</strong>papers like AA had a wider bearing on colonial society, in that <strong>the</strong>ybecame “a vibrant <strong>and</strong> contested site for negotiating <strong>the</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> colonialmodernity.” 78 Perhaps one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most fascinating points <strong>of</strong> investigationin this context is provided by <strong>the</strong> ongoing dialogue that AA kept up withits readers <strong>and</strong> subscribers. Official patronage notwithst<strong>and</strong>ing, in orderto not only survive but flourish in <strong>the</strong> volatile <strong>and</strong> highly competitivearena <strong>of</strong> nineteenth-century <strong>Urdu</strong> journalism AA was heavily dependenton <strong>the</strong> goodwill <strong>and</strong> support <strong>of</strong> its readers. To exercise its role as a representative<strong>and</strong> mediator <strong>of</strong> public opinion, AA had to listen closely to <strong>the</strong>irvoice. ❐78 Asaduddin, p. 82.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!