The Partition of India, Human Tragedy, and Communal Violence in Saadat Hasan Manto's Short Stories: A Critical and Research-Based Study

سعادت حسن منٹو کے افسانوں میں تقسیمِ ہند، انسانی المیہ اور فرقہ وارانہ تشدد: ایک تنقیدی و تحقیقی مطالعہ

Abstract

Saadat Hasan Manto is regarded as one of the most distinguished short story writers in Urdu literature. He portrayed, with remarkable realism, the human crisis, communal tensions, migration, homelessness, moral deterioration, and complex dimensions of human psychology that emerged in the aftermath of the Partition of the Indian subcontinent. For Manto, the Partition was not merely an event involving the creation of two states or the redrawing of political boundaries; rather, it was a profound human tragedy that deeply affected individuals, their inner selves, identities, relationships, and moral consciousness. His short stories emphasize the significance of human life, love, compassion, and mutual respect in contrast to divisions created in the name of religion, nationalism, and political affiliation.

This research study examines the social, psychological, and cultural consequences of the Partition of the Indian subcontinent through an analysis of Manto's selected short stories. It also explores his narrative style, characterization, symbolic expression, and literary realism to understand how he represented the human suffering and psychological complexities associated with Partition.