ایڈورڈ سعید اور مابعد نوآبادیاتی فکر: ’’اورینٹلزم‘‘ کا تنقیدی مطالعہ

Edward Said and Postcolonial Thought: A Critical Study of Orientalism

Abstract

Edward Said is widely recognized as one of the most influential intellectuals, literary critics, and founding figures of postcolonial theory in the twentieth century. His seminal work Orientalism (1978) marked a major intellectual turning point in Western academic discourse by critically examining the ways in which the “Orient” was represented in Western scholarship. Said argued that Orientalist studies were not purely objective academic pursuits but were deeply embedded within political, cultural, and ideological frameworks that served colonial interests. According to him, Western representations of the East, particularly the Islamic world, often constructed distorted images of “otherness,” portraying it as backward, inferior, and static. This study explores Edward Said’s intellectual contribution within the broader context of postcolonial theory and highlights his critique of Western academic traditions. It also examines his biography, academic career, and major works to understand the development of his thought. Special focus is given to Orientalism as a groundbreaking text that reshaped debates on culture, power, and knowledge production in modern academia. Furthermore, the article analyzes how Said’s ideas challenged conventional Orientalist approaches and opened new avenues for rethinking East–West relations. His work not only influenced literary and cultural studies but also had a profound impact on political discourse and postcolonial identity formation. The study concludes that Edward Said’s Orientalism remains a foundational text for understanding the relationship between knowledge and power in colonial and postcolonial contexts.