The Rise of the Marginalised: Subaltern Theory and Modern Reimagining of The Mahabharata

With the advent of the theory of Post-colonialism and Sub-alternity in the 21st century, various writers around the world sought to empower and amplify the voices of the marginalised, oppressed and often-overlooked communities. In India, after the end of the British colonial rule, many Indian English writers sought to bring up the narratives of the erstwhile suppressed subjects of the British rulers: the Indian masses. In order to arouse nationalist feelings and unify the various segregated groups in India, the writers sought to valorise the cultural richness of the Indian people. To achieve their goal, many of their writings strived to look back into the rich ancient Indian culture and revive some of its texts. As a result, the Epics also got into newer adaptations in the form of different versions, translations and retellings. With specific reference to the various retellings of The Mahabharata, many contemporary writers attempted to revive and retell the story of The Mahabharata from the perspectives of various sub-altern characters. The paper examines the development of Sub-altern theory in India and lists the various modern retellings of The Mahabharata which attempt to bring from the periphery to the centre, various sub-altern characters of the ancient tale.