Rhizomatic Structures of Power in Saadat Hasan Manto’s Short Stories: A Postcolonial Analysis

Abstract

The Partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 represents one of the most traumatic political and social transformations of the twentieth century. Literature produced during and after this historical event provides valuable insights into the social consequences of colonial rule and the violent reconfiguration of communities. Among the writers who documented the complexities of Partition, Saadat Hasan Manto occupies a unique position because of his uncompromising realism and his focus on marginalized individuals. This study examines the operation of power in selected short stories by Manto through the concept of the rhizome, introduced by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari. Using qualitative textual analysis, this paper explores stories such as Toba Tek Singh, Black Marginalia, Black Salwar, and Loosen Up. The study argues that power in Manto’s narratives operates through decentralized networks that influence individuals across political, social, and cultural domains. Rather than functioning through a rigid hierarchy, authority spreads through interconnected relationships, institutional practices, and communal tensions. The findings demonstrate that Manto’s fiction reflects rhizomatic structures of power in which individuals become part of complex systems that shape their identities and experiences during moments of historical crisis. The study concludes that the concept of the rhizome offers a productive framework for understanding the dynamics of power represented in Partition literature.

Keywords: Rhizome, postcolonial theory, power networks, Saadat Hasan Manto, Partition literature