Indian postcolonialism: The subaltern studies group

In recent years, the academic push towards the creation of a new postcolonialist school of thought has been approached from a great variety of different angles. One of these approaches, emerging from the Subaltern Studies Group of postcolonialist Indian historiography, has attempted to utilise the tools of Marxism and deconstruction in order to produce an alternative to the traditionally accepted narrative of colonisation. This article explores some of the key challenges that face postcolonial historians and investigates how three members of the Subaltern Studies Group have attempted to overcome them. It is envisaged that Extension teachers looking to incorporate a new and evolving school of thought into their teaching would find this a helpful introduction to contemporary Indian historiography.