Postcolonialism

Geeta Chowdhry

There is no consensus regarding what the term postcolonial connotes; indeed, both the range of meaning of the term and of the issues covered by it are immense. However, despite the contestations around the range of meaning and issues, certain fundamental assumptions are subscribed to postcolonialism. First, postcolonialism suggests that the colonial juncture played a critical role in the shaping of the modern world. Second, although there have been both continuities and ruptures from the world of classical colonialism, its presence, legacies, and hierarchies still endure in the modern world. It is thus important to note that the post in postcolonialism does not allude to an era in which colonialism is dead. Nor does it imply an uninterrupted classical colonialism. Rather, postcolonialism suggests that the modern world exemplifies both historical continuities and ruptures with classical colonialism. This entry provides an introduction to the ways in which these complex shifts for ...

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