HISTORIOGRAPHY OF EXCLUSION: TRACING THE IMPACT OF COLONIAL RULE ON MUSLIM MARGINALIZATION IN BRITISH INDIA

Abstract

This thesis explores the historical roots of Muslim marginalization in British India, emphasizing the transformative impact of colonial rule on socio-political dynamics. It delves into the historiographical narratives that have shaped understanding of this period, highlighting how colonial policies and attitudes contributed to the systematic exclusion and marginalization of the Muslim community in South Asia. Through an interdisciplinary approach, combining historical analysis with sociopolitical perspectives, the study investigates how colonial policies and attitudes entrenched divisions and exacerbated communal identities. It argues that the colonial era's policies, administrative structures, and ideological impositions played a pivotal role in fostering divisions and communal tensions, which have had lasting effects on the post-colonial Indian state.