Locating the other colonial modernity mappilas and the construction of literary spaces in select south malabar narratives

Abstract

This thesis examines select works from two genres of literature namely the Arabi-MalayalamPadappattukal and novels produced from South Malabar to understand the role of colonialmodernity in constructing literary spaces by analysing the representations of the Mappilas ofthe region. It uses the idea of space as a social construct to explore the role of dominantideologies in imagining, regulating and circulating human spaces in the context of the directBritish rule in Malabar and the Mappila engagement and negotiation with the power andliterary productions. The Introduction locates the changing dimension of imagining Malabarover centuries and the formation of the Mappila community on the coast mediating localkingdoms and international trade enriching the dynamic multi-ethnic communities in the portcity until the European powers invaded the region and the resultant struggles for power andidentity. Cnapter one reviews concepts regarding the construction of literary spaces andIndian responses to the changing political situation focusing on the geo-politics of Malabar.Chapter two examines the emergence of the Arabi-Malayalam literary genre namedPadappattukal in the second half of 19" century and how it creates textual/contextual spacesof resistance subverting the dominance of the colonial state. Chapter three examines thepolitics of circulating colonial stereotypes and homogenisation of textual spaces in regionalliterature and maps the position of the Mappilas in the mainstream literary representationsfrom the region. Chapter four considers select novels from South Malabar as counternarratives challenging the homogenising tendencies and misrepresentation of the Mappilas inthe canonical literature from south Malabar. The thesis concludes that power relations areinvolved in the construction of literary spaces and production of authentic counter narrativesredefine canonical literatures and their homogenising tendencies.