Political Motivations in Jamila Hashmi’s Novels: A Brief Review

Abstract:

This paper explores the life, literary contributions, and thematic concerns of Jamila Hashmi, one of Pakistan’s distinguished female novelists. Born in 1929, Hashmi’s experiences of migration, cultural dislocation, and socio-political upheaval profoundly shaped her fiction. Her novels Talash-e-Baharan, Dasht-e- Soos, and Chehra ba Chehra Rubaru portray the complexities of pre-Partition society, colonial tensions, and mystical personalities such as Mansur Hallaj and Qurrat-ul-Ain Tahira. Through strong female characters, historical reconstruction, and humanistic vision, Hashmi highlights issues of identity, freedom, spiritual conflict, and socio-political oppression. Her works remain vital to understanding Pakistani fiction’s engagement with history, mysticism, and human values.

Keywords:

Jamila Hashmi, Partition Literature, Mysticism in Fiction, Mansur Hallaj, Qurrat-ul-Ain Tahira, Colonial and Social Conflict

Romanised References:

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