Post-colonialism refers to a set of theories that grapple with the legacy of 19th century British and French colonial rule, especially with the dilemmas of developing a national identity in the wake of colonial rule. It is concerned with the ways knowledge of colonized people have served the interests of colonizers, and raises more general questions about how knowledge of subordinate people is produced, and how such knowledge is used.

Founding works on colonialism

  • Franz Fanon The Wretched of the Earth
  • Albert Memmi The Colonizer and the Colonized

Founding works on post-colonialism

  • Homi Bhabha The Location of Culture
  • Ranajit Guha Subaltern Studies
  • Alamgir Hashmi Commonwealth Literature: An Essay Towards the Re-definition of a Popular/Counter Culture
  • Edward Said Orientalism

See also:
Colonialism, Imperialism, Post-Communism