Dystopian Visions of Neo-Feudal India: Capital, Caste, and Authoritarianism in Post-Millennial Fiction

The Criterion: An International Journal in English
ISSN: 0976-8165 | Impact Factor: 8.67 | Peer-Reviewed | Open Access
Indian Literature

Dystopian Visions of Neo-Feudal India: Capital, Caste, and Authoritarianism in Post-Millennial Fiction

Jharna Malaviya
Vol. 17, Issue 1February 2026Pages 394-421Article ID: 2026V17N1105

Abstract

Neo‑feudalism has become an increasingly visible formation shaping the contours of post‑millennial global capitalism. Recent dystopian fiction, with its scepticism toward authoritarian power and its interrogation of technological progress, has offered compelling visions of this emerging world order. This paper identifies a significant gap in scholarship concerning how contemporary Indian dystopian writing engages with neo‑feudal transformations across social, political, and economic spheres, and how these developments reconfigure state power. Drawing on key theoretical accounts of neo‑feudalism, the study outlines its central features and examines their literary manifestations in Indian speculative fiction. It further considers the specifically Indian dimensions of neo‑feudalism, shaped by the country’s colonial history and its uneven trajectories of capitalism, modernity, and democracy. Ultimately, the paper evaluates the extent to which Indian dystopian narratives recognise these complexities and contribute to a nuanced critique of the neo‑feudal structures taking form in the present.

Keywords

Neo‑feudalism, Indian dystopian fiction, capitalism, corporate hegemony, caste, authoritarianism

How to Cite

Jharna Malaviya. “Dystopian Visions of Neo-Feudal India: Capital, Caste, and Authoritarianism in Post-Millennial Fiction.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 1, Feb. 2026, pp. 394-421. ISSN: 0976-8165.

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