The Aesthetics of Revolutionary Violence: A Fanonian Reading of Shaikh Ayaz’s Anti-Colonial Poetry

Abstract

This paper applies an anti-colonial analysis of the modern Sindhi poetry of Shaikh Ayaz employing Frantz Fanon’s revolutionary model. Writing during the height of imperial rule in the Subcontinent, Ayaz vehemently rejected colonization and supported armed resistance over constitutional non-violence. Adopting a qualitative, textual analysis methodology, this paper critically examines his anti-colonial verse, focusing on his celebrated opera, Hanging of Bhagat Singh. The central argument posits that Ayaz views revolutionary counter-violence as a structural necessity to destroy imperial tyranny and shatter the settler's superiority complex. Furthermore, the paper unmasks the complicity of the local comprador bourgeoisie and emphasizes the reclamation of indigenous history and cultural archetypes. Ultimately, the study illustrates that Ayaz rejects superficial, formal independence, demanding a continuous transition toward total systemic emancipation. It recommends future comparative research between Ayaz and other Subcontinental resistance poets.

Keywords: Shaikh Ayaz, Anti-Colonialism, Revolutionary Violence, Subcontinent, Frantz Fanon.