Twilight in Delhi Background

Twilight in Delhi was Ahmed Ali’s first novel, set around 1911 to 1919, giving a
descriptive image of India’s changing social, political, and cultural climate post colonialism, and
recounting the state of Muslims in India during that time. Twilight in Delhi concerns an upper-
class Muslim merchant Mir Nihal and his family. Mir Nihal was an orthodox Muslim who aimed
to save the future generations from the brutalities of the British; he was a typical Muslim man
who snarled at the British and voiced his concerns about the British colonization of India. He and
his wife and three sons, one of which revolts against his father’s wishes and marries a girl of a
lower economic strata, and roams around wearing an English shirt and shoes - the immediate
sign of India’s gradual decline and death.
Through the story of Mir Nihal and his family, Ali is able to portray the state of India and the
Muslims in India after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the state of India after colonialism and the
family traditions and ties. This novel was at first banned by the British, but is now considered a
class due to its appeal, themes, imagery and the witty symbols used. Twilight in Delhi allows us
to go back in time and be a part of old Delhi.

Twilight in Delhi Summary

The name or title of Ahmed Ali’s novel as “Twilight in Delhi” is very significant in itself. The
story focuses on Mir Nihal and his family as the depiction of the changes in their personal lives
as well as in Indian culture. The great city of Delhi, which was built hundreds of years ago, was
destroyed several times yet it survived. It was the city of Kings, Monarchs, Poets and Storytellers
but now it has none of them.
The story begins as, It was late of hot summer night. Mir Nihal comes to home, talking to Begum
Nihal about the marriage of their son, Asghar, who is now twenty-two. Mir Nihal expresses his
annoyance at Asghar’s friendship with Bundoo, the son of Mirza Shabaz Baig. Mir Nihal
suddenly catches the sight of a big snake in the pigeon-loft: he leaves the topic unresolved and
goes to the pigeon house.

After easily killing the snake, Mir Nihal finishes his conversation just as Asghar a tall, well-built
boy wearing an English shirt, comes into the house. Mir Nihal stops him and snubs him for
wearing English shirts and wandering late at night. Asghar goes to sleep on the roof. He looks
disturbed because of heat. He has recently been in love with a dancing girl, Mushtari Bai, but
now has developed romantic feelings for his friend Bundoo’s sister, Bilqeece. In his dream he
finds himself dancing with Mushtari Bai, then he comes to face Bilqeese. The conditions remain
very to all along the day.

At five the evening, Asghar goes out. At the corner of a b-lane some mischievous boys are
flocking around a mad-woman. She is naked; her close cropped head looks like a walnut on her
plump and pulpy body, and her breasts hung loosely and dangled as she walks. A boy goes up
near her and asks with whom she spent last night. The woman begins to prance and turns to
Asghar for help. But he avoids her, at this milk seller shouts at the boys and makes them run
away.

Asghar happens to see an old man who resembles with Huzoor Ali who had been devoted to him
but Asghar had always ignored him. Huzoor Ali had not succeeded in making Asghar love him
and cursed him that a time would come when he would suffer a lot in love.

The prophecy seems true now. Asghar is worried because of the problems in his marriage with
her. Asghar family is staunch believer of caste system and Bilqeece doesn’t belong to his caste.
Asghar is so intent on marrying her that he becomes lovelorn and sends for his older sister,
Begum Waheed, to come home and help him arrange his marriage. Once she arrives Asghar
indicates that if he cannot have Bilqeece, then he will have no choice but to commit suicide.
Begum Nihal and Begum Waheeb starts discussion about Asghar’s marriage. Begum Waheed
succeeded in convincing Begum Nihal that her cousin is not a perfect match for Asghar, then she
disclose that Asghar wants to marry Bilqeece but Begum Nihal reacts anonymously. The family
has a strong belief in superstitions which reflect through the windstorm. Begum Waheed finally
convinced Begum Nihal to talk Mir Nihal about this proposal. Meanwhile the storm is ended.

After two days she sends for Mir Nihal, finding him in good mood, and tells him that Asghar
wants to marry Bilqeece. Hearing this Mir Nihal turns red with anger and calls it impossible to
even think about. Begum Nihal pursues the point but Mir Nihal rejects the suggestion saying that
he cannot accept a low-caste girl in his house. Begum Jamal overhears this and suggest Begum
Nihal that the marriage should be arranged between the ladies. Mir Nihal can be softened down
later.

Asghar is disappointed about his fate and decided to go to Mushtari Bai. Mushtari Bai is a young
and good looking dancing girl. He went to Mushtari Bai and told her that he has fallen in love,
which hurts Mushtari Bai because she is in love with Asgher herself. After this Asghar goes back
to home. When he come to know that his father is not willing to accept Bilqeece as daughter-in-
law he wanted to commit suicide but his sister told him that his mother has convinced and she
goes to Begum Shahbaz with the proposal and she agrees to it. Asghar went to Bhopal with his
sister on her suggestion. A few time later, on another hot evening, Mir Nihal arrives at home to
find his family stricken with heat sickness.

After he helps his family, he checks on his pigeons to find that quite a few of them have died.
Mir Nihal’s heart sinks, he doesn’t ponder over his cries because he is depressed on the loss of
his treasure (pigeons). A person comes to Mir Nihal and tells him that Babban Jan’s condition is
not good. Mir Nihal thinks that something worst is happening to him. Babban Jan is Mir Nihal’s
(informal) mistress. He has been in relation with her for five years. When reaches to Babban
Jan’s, he finds her dead, about half an hour.
At home Mir Nihal goes toward s the loft and sees that all the pigeons are gone leaving some
feathers behind. He spots a big furious black cat that seems to have satiated her appetite and is
showing her resolution to enter again into the loft. Mir Nihal hits her. She runs to escape but Mir
Nihal hits her again and makes her fall down from the wall. He beats the cat so vehemently that
when he comes to senses, the cat lies dead. He feels his life to be ruined leaving nothing behind.
Begum Nihal was more than nothing for him. He stops taking care of his business and ultimately
decides to depend on his sons.

Since Mir Nihal has retired, he spends most of his days studying alchemy, one of his old hobbies.
During this time, the coronation of King George of Britian occurs. Mir Nihal, his other son
Habbibuddudn, and others of the family go to parade, but Mir Nihal has a flashback of the
violence that occurred as the British took over the country. Mir Nihal decides to walk home by
himself and along the way he comes across a beggar who happens to be a member of the recently
deposed royal family. Mir Nihal pities the man and gives him some money before continuing his
walk home to ponder over the major changes in his life. Preparations for the marriage of Asghar
have started. A number of customs and traditions have shown throughout the marriage
ceremony.

However, everything goes on smoothly. After marriage, Asghar is very happy and is eager to
shower his love upon Bilqeece, but whenever he touches her she gets annoyed. She takes this
indifferent as a token of her shyness: a common feature found in Indian girls. He often
remembers Mushtari Bai from whom he got the actual love. Bilqeece get pregnant and gives
birth to a girl.

The year 1913 comes. The British are on the top. There has come a change in customs and ways
of life. The language, the customs and traditions all are losing their meaning. The domestic life
of Asghar and Bilqeece is depressed. Their relations have gone very cold. Asghar become selfish
and is interested only his own self. Bilqeece gets worse, but this is because of tuberculosis. She
gets better for a while, but dies a short time later, leaving Asghar to care for their daughter.
Bilqeece’s younger sister, Zohra, helps Asghar to take care for the child, but Asghar becomes
infatuated with Zohra. At first the feeling is not mutual, but after a while, Zohra is infatuated
with Asghar as well. They keep the relationship a secret for a while, but Asghar goes to talk to
his parents about marrying her.

Mir Nihal is in a deserted condition. Everyone is dying one by one and this is taking him away
from the world. His son Asghar has adopted new English style. Hindustan was becoming a
mixture of Indian and Western culture. Mir Nihal has a great love for his late brother, Jamal.
They had spent a good time in past. His father died in 1857, had left a huge amount of money for
two brothers.

After the death of Mir Jamal, Mir Nihal has been taking care of his brother’s widow, Begum
Jamal. Her leaving the house of Mir Nihal shocks and disturbs him a lot. Mir Nihal’s son
Habbibuddin has fallen ill. His condition is getting worse day by day. Begum Nihal believes that
a jinn has captured him. Many Peers and Hakims come to cure him but all in vain.

Both Habbibuddin and Mir Nihal know well about what is going on there. Hbbibuddin’s
condition is so critical that a number of relatives including Mehro have come to see hm. It is
clear that he is on the verge of death. At eleven of a night, Habbibuddin passes away. People
come, weep and go to sleep. Mir Nihal’s condition has turned into worst. He is almost dead.
Having buried Habbibuddin people return to Mir Nihal’s home and start eating the meal. Zohra
informed Asghar, in the letter, that her marriage has been arranged. She is helpless before the
will of her mother. Asghar seems disturbed but can do nothing to stop the marriage. Mir Nihal’s
condition is pathetic. He lets in his room, paralyzed, gazing in the space, feeling that he is the
most lonesome person in the world.

Twilight in Delhi Character List

MIR NIHAL
Mir Nihal is the central character of the novel. Ahmed Ali highlighted the attitude of patriarchal
society in Delhi through his descriptive method of portraying the character of Mir Nihal.
Throughout the novel, males are portrayed as moral weaklings, especially the character Mir
Nihal. By somehow or other, all other characters and actions are linked to Mir Nihal. He is a man
who has witnessed the last event of the surrender of Delhi on 14th Sep 1957 with his own eyes.
He feels hurt and pain on Hindustan’s Slavery but instead of making “rallies” “marches”
“strikes” and “non-cooperative movement” which he suppose to be useless activities, he believes
in direct use of weapons to liberate his country.

Mir Nihal has portrayed as a character who hates the rulers because he has seen the country
going under the slavery with his eyes as being one of the representative of older generation. He is
nearly a sixty-two years old person whose external appearance is a picture of Muslim nobility.
The nature of Mir Nihal is totally idle. The passivity of his nature has shown under the
unreceptive mind of changes. His refusal of Asghar’s marriage was the most crucial moment in
his life, when the whole family turned against of his decision.
ASGHAR
Asghar is the second most important character of the novel, younger son of Mir Nihal, who likes
the English fashion and ways. Unlike his father Mir Nihal, he belongs to the young generation of
India, represent the Muslim Indian culture but in his own way. He seemed revolutionary in
approach and intention. Asghar’s appearance shows the eastern and western touch in it which
represents directionless Indian Muslim youth, living in multicultural society. He has a dancing
girl “Mushtari Bai” like his father Mir Nihal has “Babban Jan” but contrary to his father who
keep Babban Jan till her death, he left Mushtari Bai at the sudden and start loving Bilqeece and
did everything possible for the sake to get her as a wife. Although he couldn’t keep himself
limited to her and begun to goes out on his romantic adventure to find a new woman for him.
The novel skillfully deals with the predicament of Delhi of that time through the characters of the
novel. Asghar seems entirely change from his family. His view of marrying Bilqeece, against his
father’s approval, shows the rebelliousness from the old traditional style of Mir Nihal. Since the
beginning, we came to know the in-satiated personality of Asghar. His desire for intimacy and
bodily pleasure can found nearly in every chapter of the novel. He found his fate unsatisfactory
for him. He became entirely disappointed from life after the refusal from father’s side about his
marriage with Bilqeece.
BEGUM NIHAL
The wife of Mir Nihal, who makes the decision of Asghar's marriage against Mir Nihal. She
always remains thoughtful of returning her husband at home. She is nearly sixty years old. She
becomes blind. She tried to convince Mir Nihal for Asghar marriage with Bilqeece.
BABBAN JAN
Babban is the dancer and prostitute girl of the novel. Babban Jan is the most important
personality in Mir Nihal's life. She is love of Mir Nihal and he buys her a house to live there. Her
death causes a loneliness for Mir Nihal.
MUSHTARI BAI
Mushtari Bai is the most important personality in Asghar's life. She is the first love of Asghar.
She is the secret/dancing/prostitute girl. She uses many tricks to give pleasure and satisfaction to
Asghar. She causes the death of Bilqeece because Asghar doesn't find any same trick of
pleasuring in Bilqeece what she had
BILQEECE
The wife of Asghar. She is a respective and innocent girl of a low class family. She was grown
up in a little bit religion context. She never came up forward in style, she always remained in her
culture. Bilqeece couldn’t impress Asghar and Asghar always expected something from her, like
Mushtari Bai. After marriage Asghar doesn’t love her, He is inattention towards Bilqeece now he
doesn’t love her, Bilqeece suffers a lot in her heart and die.
ZOHRA
A younger sister of Bilqeece and third love of Asghar. She lives with her sister Bilqeece. After
the death of her sister she takes care of her niece, she finally agrees to be in love with Asghar and
writes him a letter to go for wedding on the day of her marriage.

Twilight in Delhi Themes

Marriage
Marriage is important in Indian culture for the growth of the family and the rise in social status.
The theme of Marriage creates a dilemma for Asghar as his passion for Bilqeece drives him to
despair and threats of suicide. Marriage also become the source of dissension between Asghar
and Mir Nihal. Asghar wants to marry Bilqeece who belongs to a lower status family than Mir
Nihal's family, this exploits Mir Nihal anger as he wants Asghar to marry with a high class girl.
So, Marriage plays an important role throughout the novel.
Diminishing of Muslim Culture
One of the major themes in "Twilight in Delhi" is Diminishing of Muslim's culture. The effects
of shrinking Muslim civilization has been clearly shown in the novel through the example of
Asghar. Twilight in Delhi basically deals with the decay of Mughal Kingship and Muslim
civilization and culture.
Before the arrival of the British in Hindustan, there had been ruling Muslims and their
civilization could be seen everywhere but with the arrival of the British, the whole civilization
faced a huge decay. Mir Nihal, who used to live in the Muslim civilization could not gratify with
the present situation of Muslim society. His attitude reflects the predicament of Muslims of
Delhi, to whom it was about impossible to survive in the changed conditions. Because they felt
that this is the most embarrassing condition of the Muslims.
Sex
Sex is one the most important themes of the novel. Ahmed Ali depicts the society of Delhi
through his characters portrayal. Almost all the characters are sexually suppressed. If we have a
look on Delhi's males society we come to know that almost every male of Delhi went to
prostitutes to fulfill their desires and when they become habitual they can not gratify with their
wives because they don't know the art of capturing men through sex. So most of men have no
longer interest in their wives.

Mir Nihal, the most energetic man, goes to Babban Jan. A young lady who gave him all these
pleasures and with her death the whole world of Mir Nihal seems to be destroyed. He had also
illegitimate relations with his maid Dilchain and when she got pregnant Megum Nihal was so
surprised as she was not married.

Asghar also had a young beautiful lady Mushtari Bai. After seeing Bilqeece he wanted to marry
her and succeeded but soon lose interest in her because of her lack sexual understanding. It
wasn't her fault because most of Hindustani's women are shy and are not familiar with the art of
pleasing men. The whole family represents the society of Delhi: the interest of men in prostitutes
and unawareness of women in what is happening in surroundings.

Twilight in Delhi Analysis

The use of animals in the plot is worth mentioning in this book. For instance, the ability to defeat
a snake is treasured in the opening of the novel, which has symbolic implications. For instance, if
one takes the snake as a sign of deception, then to defeat a snake is to defeat a bad idea that looks
like the right answer, but is a trick instead. That certainly echoes elements of the plot as well.
Then there is the other demonstrations of animals, where the balance of nature is described
through the chain of being.

One of the major emotional moments is when a man becomes emotionally attached to his feral
pigeons, and he notices when each one is taken by a predator. He becomes truly grieved by each
loss, and he treats the pigeons as a kind of family to him. That means that the pigeons are a
symbol for his loved ones in general, and the predator coming from the woods to eat the birds—
that is a symbol too, but for the untimely nature of human death, so when he mourns, he comes
to terms with nature, the death cycle, and the fact that animals survive by eating other animals,
that they kill.

So what does any of this have to do with the novel's central themes of marriage and family? It
has everything to do with it, because secretly, the humans are animals too, also entangled in
these natural cycles. The pigeon's death cycle is the same as the lovers in the book. They have to
work through the difficult, arduous dance of finding the right partner, learning the limitations of
love and romance, learning by making mistakes by the way—and for what? Because secretly, all
the characters are dying, and if they want to have kids about that, then they need to establish not
just sexual bonds, which are obviously entangling, but also emotional trust bonds, so that a sense
of family can emerge

Twilight in Delhi Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

The naked lady
The naked lady knows something that most people do not. As a mentally impaired citizen, she
often finds herself making the most of bad situations, but the boys ridiculing her are the very
reason for her emotional instability and insanity. Therefore, the boys are a symbol of the
disenfranchisement of women, and their harassment and abuse is both the toxic problem of their
boyish insecurity, and it is the plight that makes the naked lady into a crazy, sobbing, humiliated,
overweight, admittedly ashamed woman. The men who use her sexually are not different than
the boys who tease her in the street.
The beggar from the royal family
When Mir Nihal finds a rich man turned poor, he begins to think of his fortune, so let's take this
beggar from the royal family as an artistic symbol for that wheel-of-fortune. This has echoes of
"the first will be last," because the rich man ends up being poor, but the generous, humble man
looks back on life, and he has improved. The rich man could fall from his wealth, but Mir Nihal
continues working from a stable foundation.
The motif of changing customs
This whole novel is rich with culture and nuance, especially to those who can distinguish the
cultural significance of all the character's various opinions and fashions. The motif is simply that
culture is fluid, and there is some sacred, ephemeral quality about it that can make someone
nostalgic about the flow of time. This represents their attachment to the beauty and order of the
past, which is fixed in stone, but because many of the people in the novel are afraid of change,
the motif also represents a kind of horror.
Marriage as a symbolic reality
Marriage represents something that cannot be seen just in the characters as they are described.
Because the novelist is constantly referring us back to the true nature of reality, the animal life
cycle, the plants and animals in balance in nature, the weather—in light of those facts, the human
stories have a context. Unfortunately, that context is determined by death, which makes it so that
marriage is both a real animal instinct (mating) and it is also a symbol of our human limitation. If
we want to build a legacy, it seems we must build families.
The final moment
The paralyzed man symbolizes something truly remarkable. Mir Nihal feels he is the most
lonesome person in the world, but that is partially because of the limitations of his health and his
condition, and it is partially a reflection of his increasing awareness of a thematic thread that has
been continually re-emerging throughout the novel—there is a limit to what human connection
can provide.

This loneliness is the existential kind. It refers to Mir Nihal's true death awareness. He knows his
condition is temporary, but without the ability to communicate those feelings to his loved ones,
it's as if his business is not with them anymore, as if his business were now with God. He feels
lonely, because he is unsure about the true nature of human existence, and to end the novel on
that note is kind of like the author tipping his hat to Mir Nihal, as if to say, "Now you've arrived
at the answer!" Or at least, he has arrived at the question.

Twilight in Delhi Metaphors and Similes

Twilight in Delhi
The decaying civilization of the Muslims of India has been metaphorically described by the title
“Twilight in Delhi”. The title of the novel is a metaphor for the tumultuous years of 1857 to 1919
in the sub-continent when the pinnacle of glory of the Muslims was coming to an end, just
because of their own inefficiencies. The miserable conditions of the men in Delhi and their
surroundings have rightly been described by the title.
Blanket
Ahmad Ali has used the simile of blanket for the night. He says, “Night envelops the city
covering it like a blanket”. The night covered the deserted conditions of men in Delhi and their
surroundings, just like a blanket which hides everything under it. People used to lie on the roads,
half naked but their miserable states were concealed by the night.
Coma
The simile of coma has been used for the paralyzed condition of Mir Nehal. Although he was
alive, but still it seemed like he was not in his senses, “he lay in the bed in the state of coma”. It
depicts the end of his rule and his powerlessness while he was still breathing.
Owl
Mir Nihal was a man who used to control all the matters of the family. His words were
considered as the final verdict but after his illness, he was lying on the bed just like an owl who
counts his days at the mercy of fate and time. His grandeur got scattered and his status was
reduced to nothing. He lost his maneuvering position and value.

Twilight in Delhi Irony

Gender Roles
In “Twilight in Delhi”, the separate rooms were allocated to men and women and the women
were not allowed to go out without any purpose. They were supposed to be loyal to their
husbands while the men could do whatever they want. The novel urges the reader to look deep
into the realities. The women were relegated to the periphery and the feudal lords restrained them
from participating in the societal matters. Begum Nihal, Mehro and Bilqueece are the victims of
this chauvinistic system. They were taught to remain loyal to their husbands and to play the role
of a perfect housewives while Mir Nihal remained indulged in extra-marital affair with Babban
Jan. His son, Asghar also visits his mistress Mushtari Bai. The irony is that the girls were not
consulted even about their own marriages, Mehro Zamani accepts her marriage with the old and
disfigured Meraj while Asghar compels his parents for marrying him to his beloved Bilqueece.
Conditions of Mistresses
There is an irony in the condition of Babban Jan and Mushtari Bai who sang and dance for the
Nawabs and the upper-class men in order to entertain them but still these women remained
neglected and ruined throughout their lives. Mushtari Bai describes herself as “a candle who
burns its own self and sheds the tears of blood and blackens its habitat with its smoke.”
Boots
Asghar’s fondness for his shoes is also ironical. He abhors British culture but at the same time he
likes English boots. He complains to his father about English men but still he tries to hide his
shoes from his father’s eyes because he knows that he would condemn their use.

Twilight in Delhi Imagery

Chandni Chowk
The story vividly describes the city of Delhi in the early twentieth century. It brings alive the
buzz of the Chandni Chowk alleys. The wailings of the wandering fakirs (ascetics), the cheering
of the kite-fliers, the rendition of qawalis (songs), and the echo of azaan (call for prayer) make
the narrative lyrical. Even ordinary sounds like a crying child or a chirping sparrow contribute to
the story’s soundtrack. The fragrance of jasmine flowers and the aroma of medicated oils and
perfumes evoke a sense of nostalgia.
Eid Celebrations
The novel captures the festivities of Eid in Delhi. It describes the hustle and bustle near the Jama
Masjid on the eve of the festival. Thousands of people, decked in their finest attire gather at the
mosque for the evening namaaz (prayer session). After the prayer, they throng the markets for
clothes, toys, perfumes, dry fruits, henna, and bangles. The colorful sherbets (juices) and the
aroma of kebabs and biryani symbolize the end of the fasting period. The vibrant imagery allows
the reader to assess the spirit of the Eid festival.
Asghar’s Wedding
Ali’s depiction of Asghar’s wedding shows his respect for the Muslim culture. He passionately
describes the grand ceremony, the lavish customs, and the minor family debates. It is interesting
to observe that the mundane zanana section becomes the center of activity. In a world filled with
gloom and despair, the wedding makes everyone happy. The novel introduces the reader to
Muslim customs and traditions. The groom's family prepares the bride's wedding trousseau.
Three days before the wedding they wrap the bridal clothes, scatter them with rice as a good
omen, and send them to her house. The family members pamper the bridegroom with delicacies
such as betel leaves, crystallized sugar, and sweets. The bride arrives in a palanquin and is
welcomed with an elaborate ritual. The groom's family bathes her feet in milk and adorns them
with silver amulets. The extravagant ceremony consolidates Mir Nihal’s social and financial
status in society.
The Coronation Ceremony
The novel describes the colonial intrusion of Delhi that divests the city of its glory and grandeur.
The city prepares to redesign itself according to the whims of its new rulers. The central
causeway of Chandni Chowk is demolished, and the peepul trees are felled to accommodate the
Coronation Durbar. The ceremony takes place at Jama Masjid. A jubilant crowd rallies to
welcome King George from the very spot where its people were massacred in the 1857
revolution. As the city remodels, its inhabitants choose to forget the past and embrace a new
future. Mir Nihal watches the coronation with a feeling of remorse and disgust. He blames the
citizens for lack of courage. He laments the loss of Muslim aristocracy and returns home.

Twilight in Delhi Literary Elements

Genre
Postcolonial novel
Setting and Context
The setting of the novel is Delhi 1857-1919 and it has been written in the context of British rule
in the sub-continent.
Narrator and Point of View
The novel has been narrated from the first person point of view but the narration often switches
to second person's point of view and the aspects of colonization have been highlighted.
Tone and Mood
Pessimistic, Mournful, Lamenting
Protagonist and Antagonist
Mir Nehal has been portrayed as both the protagonist and the antagonist of the novel.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the novel is between the colonizer and the colonized and between younger
and older generations, e.g. Mir Nehal and Asghar.
Climax
The deterioration of Mir Nehal's health is the climax of the novel.
Foreshadowing
The death of Baban jan and the pigeons foreshadows the ruin of Mir Nehal and Mir Nehal's
illness foreshadows the downfall of Muslims.
Understatement
The understatement in the novel is the lost glory of Muslims and the ambivalent attitude of the
Muslims towards the British.
Allusions
The Allusions of Mughal Emperors have been used in the novel.
Imagery
There are images of death, illness, animals and burning of candle.
Paradox
The paradox is that Asghar shows his hatred for the British but at the same time wears English
boots.
Parallelism
There is parallelism between Mir Nehal's condition and the condition of the Muslims of the sub-
continent.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Mir Nehal represents the Muslims of the subcontinent which is an example of synecdoche and
British boots are the example of metonymy in the novel.
Personification
Peace has been personified by the pigeons.