Decolonization and Selfhood

Comparative Reflections on Iqbal’s Khudi and Fanon’s Revolutionary Consciousness

Abstract

This paper reflects on the intellectual contributions of Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Frantz Fanon in addressing the psychological, political, and social ramifications of colonialism. Through a comparative lens, the study examines Iqbal’s Shikwa-Jawab-e-Shikwa and Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, focusing on their shared concern with decolonization and the awakening of the colonized subject. Both thinkers provide nuanced critiques of colonial exploitation, yet they diverge in their frameworks for emancipation—Fanon through Marxist revolutionary violence and Iqbal through the spiritual and philosophical concept of khudi (selfhood). The paper explores themes such as identity, the role of violence, pan-nationalism, and the colonization of the mind, positioning both thinkers within the broader discourse of anti-colonial thought. Ultimately, this analysis highlights how both Iqbal and Fanon offer distinct yet interconnected paths toward liberation, grounded in the specific historical and cultural contexts they navigated.