Intersection of Human Relationship and History in Salman Rushdie’s Victory City

Abstract

Human relationships are integral and indispensable part of human life. In the postmodern world people give more importance to individuality than to establish relationships within family and outside of it. Human love, care and concern are the basic traits needed for establishing cordial human relationships. Salman Rushdie portrays various shades of human relationship in Victory City, though the novel is a historical one. The political history of the Vijayanagara Empire in India from its origin to decline is the sap that Rushdie has exploited in writing the novel, Victory City published in 2023. The novel is in an “epic story” of Pampa Kampana who had lived for about two-hundred and fifty years through the boon offered to her by Goddess Parvati. Pampa Kampana of Victory City possesses the magical wand in her hand to rule the empire according to her wishes. Yet the author has made something go beyond her control in order give the novel a realistic touch. Magic was an easy mantra for Pampa and through which she had created the milieu of realism. Hence the characters in the novels almost resemble the real historical persons lived during the Vijayanagara Empire in India.