Religion and tradition The Social Criticism toward Pakistani Society in the 20

Based on that citation, Qaisra presents her criticism toward feudalists in Pakistan who took everything from peasants in Pakistan. Feudalism in Pakistan made so many people, especially villagers, in poverty. As this criticism is presented by villagers in this novel, Qaisra offers feudalism from villagers’ view. In other words, Qaisra tries to offers her expectation toward feudalists in Pakistan to change and to abolish this system. Those landlords were also said, sometimes ignored love and justice. In contrast they loved their land more than anything. The landlords put their lands above all they had. This issue is also raised by Qaisra in this novel. Qaisra presents character Habib and Siraj Din, landlords in Sindh. They rank first place in their own villages. As landlords they love their lands more than their family. They always care about their lands. The first thing in their mind is their lands. When his only son passes away, Habib only worries about his lands and whom he will inherit his lands to. What Habib thinks is only how to retain his lands. “Now, I have fallen at the greatest hurdle of my life. What is to become of us and our inheritance?...Well now that I have no son, who is going to be my heir, Shahzada? To whom am I going to bequeath all this land? I am not going to hand it over to some strangers who just happen to marry my daughter. This our land accumulated and paid for by the sweat and toil of my forefathers, down the centuries by different generations. Tell me what would you do in my position?...There is only one choice that is facing us…. Qaisra: 42.” By looking at citation above, it can be seen that for Habib loosing a son is the greatest loss because there will be no heir- not because of his love toward his son but because his love toward his lands and because of his fear of giving his lands to another family. Further, Qaisra criticises feudalist in Pakistan who was being malicious landlords. They did everything to accomplish their greediness and sometimes they did something quite illogical and malicious. Lines below show Zarri’s opinion toward inheritance system in feudalism. “Inheritance is a major issue for landowning families like ours. Brothers have killed each other and had lifelong feuds over land. Some end up applying their own brutal law that of the fittest and the one with the most influence ends up winning everything Qaisra: 263.” Those lines indirectly state that feudalist will do anything and will use anything to get inheritance or to retain wealth. Through characters Habib and Siraj Din, Qaisra presents her criticism toward inheritance in feudal family. To maintain his lands, Habib holds an old tradition called Holy woman. This old tradition was not done for long time. In contrast, Habib holds this tradition, defending that this tradition will give her daughter purity and devotion. He ties her daughter to his lands and wealth. In other words, he sacrifices her daughter to fulfill his desire. This idea is supported by citation below. She would stand by her husband and endorse his decisions. She would, however, never forgive him or the barbaric traditions that made men like him enslave their women and force them into alien roles. Men like him who forgot their humanity and bargained with the lives of their loved ones, for the sake of their precious parcels of land Qaisra: 43. Summarising, Qaisra criticises feudalism in Pakistan in this novel. Through characters Habib and Siraj Din, Qaisra criticises the effect of feudalism which makes people especially landlords greedy. Their greediness makes them be cruel people who will do everything cruel and illogical in order to get or to maintain wealth or lands. Moreover, feudalism in Pakistan in the 20 th century made landlords create a tradition which placed women in an unpleasant experience such Holy Woman. Besides, they fraudly defended that they performed Islamic’s view. Hence, feudalism did not only harm peasant but also women. In other words, Qaisra does not only criticise greediness, malice and women destruction in feudalism but also the hypocrite of feudalist in Pakistan.

5. Pride

Pride is another thing Qaisra criticises in this novel. Most characters in this novel have high pride. However their prides take them into an unpleasant experience, not only for them but also for their surrounding. Zarri Bano is the main character who is proud of her family, of her family’s wealth and of her family’s clan. Besides, her pride does not permit anyone to insult her. Those are reasons for her to do what his father’s request. Because of her pride she does not want to let it degrade. She agrees to be a Holy Woman otherwise her family is going to lose his wealth. Kaniz, is also the Qaisra’s means to criticise pride. She cannot accept the fact that she was the second option. Because of her pride as a woman, she turns a lot after being the chaudarani. She keeps a distance among her employee. She looks down on lower class. Moreover, her pride, especially as a chaudarani, makes she hate Fatima a lot. She declines her son’s idea of marrying Fatima’s daughter. Because of that reason, Khawar leaves his mother. As the result, Kaniz