Fundamental Theories of International Relations and Urdu Novels: In the Context of Feminism

بین الاقوامی تعلقات کے بنیادی نظریات اور اردو ناول:  تانیثیت کے تناظر میں

Abstract

This research article re-examines the relationship between foundational theories of International Relations and the Urdu novel through a feminist lens. Classical paradigms such as Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism primarily focus on state, power, interest, and identity, yet the gendered dimension within these theoretical frameworks often remains underexplored. The study argues that the silences embedded in dominant IR narratives become visibly articulated within the creative discourse of the Urdu novel. Through textual analysis of selected Urdu novels, the paper demonstrates that war, colonialism, partition, and global power dynamics profoundly shape feminine subjectivity, collective memory, and cultural identity. Employing feminist critique, the study reveals that notions of national interest and state sovereignty are not gender-neutral constructs but are deeply embedded in patriarchal structures. The Urdu novel thus emerges as an alternative epistemic space that humanizes and ethically expands the theoretical boundaries of International Relations. The central argument asserts that feminist analysis offers a necessary intellectual intervention for rethinking global politics beyond material power, incorporating embodied experiences, emotional economies, and gendered narratives into the study of international relations.