Volume 3 Number 2
“Empires’ Echo: Colonial Legacies in Postcolonial South Asia”
Colonial legacies refer to the enduring social, political, economic, and cultural impacts that colonial rule left on formerly colonized societies. These complex aftereffects shape modern national borders, state bureaucracies, linguistic hierarchies, and collective identities across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The colonial encounter in South Asia created institutions and hierarchies that remain embedded in postcolonial states. As Chatterjee (1993) observes, “the nation and its fragments” reveal how colonial governance fractured identities, producing contested notions of citizenship and belonging. Even after independence, many South Asian nations inherited bureaucratic and legal systems modeled on colonial frameworks, which continue to influence governance and policy-making (Hoang et al., 2023).
Colonial education policies privileged English and Western epistemologies, marginalizing indigenous knowledge. Chakrabarty (2000) famously argued for “provincializing Europe,” urging scholars to decenter Eurocentric narratives and foreground South Asian epistemologies. The persistence of English as a dominant academic and administrative language reflects this legacy, while efforts to reclaim vernacular traditions highlight ongoing struggles for cultural autonomy (Radhakrishnan & Vijayakumar, 2022).
Colonial land and property laws entrenched patriarchal structures, limiting women’s rights. Agarwal (1994) demonstrated how gendered access to land ownership in South Asia was shaped by colonial legal frameworks, with consequences that persist today. Postcolonial feminist scholarship emphasizes how colonial legacies intersect with caste and class, producing layered inequalities that demand decolonial approaches to justice.
Literature, cinema, and art remain vital sites for negotiating colonial memory. As Radhakrishnan and Vijayakumar (2022) note, South Asian cultural production often grapples with “global imaginaries” shaped by colonial histories, while simultaneously resisting homogenizing narratives. Films and novels frequently revisit colonial encounters, offering counter-histories that challenge dominant accounts.
Postcolonial South Asia’s development trajectory has been deeply influenced by colonial economic structures. Hoang et al. (2023) argue that “decolonizing development” requires rejecting Eurocentric models and embracing indigenous knowledge systems that prioritize sustainability and cultural diversity. Comparative studies with other regions of the Global South highlight shared struggles against neocolonial economic pressures and the search for alternative futures.
The legacies of colonialism in South Asia are not static relics but dynamic forces shaping contemporary realities. As Chakrabarty (2000) reminds us, “postcolonial thought is not about rejecting Europe but about rethinking history from the margins.” South Asia’s ongoing negotiation with its colonial past underscores the need for critical scholarship that bridges history, politics, and culture. Colonial legacies in South Asia comprise entrenched administrative structures, arbitrary national borders, and socio-political systems inherited from British rule. These enduring impacts manifest as centralized bureaucratic hierarchies, regional interstate mistrust, and structural inequalities that continue to shape governance and cultural identity across the subcontinent.
The Journal of South Asian Exchanges invites submissions for its upcoming special issue dedicated to the rich, layered, and dynamic terrain of South Asian Studies. This issue seeks to cultivate cross-disciplinary conversations that explore both the historical depth and contemporary complexities of South Asia. We are especially interested in papers that foreground interdisciplinary approaches and prioritize marginalized perspectives—scholarship that moves beyond binaries and embraces the messy, hybrid realities of the region. The journal seeks original and innovative submissions that interrogate South Asia through a plurality of lenses, grounded in both critical theory and empirical investigation. Topics may include, but are not limited to:
A. Political & Administrative Structures
• Colonial Bureaucracy
• Legal Frameworks
• Nation-State Formation
B. Education & Knowledge Systems
• Language Policies
• Curriculum & Pedagogy
• Eurocentric epistemologies versus indigenous knowledge.
C. Economy & Development
• Colonial Land Tenure
• Resource extraction and industrial underdevelopment.
• Continuity of colonial economic models in postcolonial planning.
D. Culture, Identity & Representation
• Literature, cinema, and art as sites of colonial remembrance.
• Colonial laws reinforcing patriarchy and caste divisions.
• Religious Identities
E. Global & Comparative Dimensions
• South Asia in the Global South
• Contributions of South Asian scholars to global debates.
• Intellectual and activist responses to colonial legacies.
Submission Guidelines
Before making any submission, we strongly suggest consulting the following:
A. Submission Guidelines for Authors
B. Terms and Conditions
C. Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
D. Self-archiving Policy
E. Generative AI Policies
Important Dates
Full Paper Submission Deadline: October 15, 2026
Publication Date: December 2026
How to Submit
Please send your abstracts and papers to: editor@saexchanges.com
For questions or expressions of interest, reach out to Thakurdas Jana, Managing Editor, at: editor@saexchanges.com
For any queries, please text us at our WhatsApp No: +91- 7047598085
The Special Issue Aims to Meet the SDGs
