Romanticized History in the Novels of Nasīm Ḥijāzī and Sir Walter Scott

Abstract

The relationship between history and fiction has remained a significant concern in comparative literary studies, particularly in relation to the ways novelists reconstruct the past to address contemporary cultural and ideological concerns. This study examines the representation of romanticized history in Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley and Ivanhoe and Nasīm Ḥijāzī’s Andheri Raat ke Musafir and Yūsuf bin Tāshfīn. Although both novelists have been extensively studied individually, comparatively little attention has been devoted to examining their approaches to historical romanticization from a cross-cultural perspective. Employing Steven Tötösy de Zepetnek’s model of thematic inclusion within comparative literary studies, the research uses qualitative textual analysis to explore how Scott and Ḥijāzī transform historical events into narratives of heroism, cultural memory, national consciousness, and collective identity. The findings demonstrate that Scott romanticizes medieval English history through chivalric ideals, heroic characters, and themes of social reconciliation, whereas Ḥijāzī reconstructs the Islamic past through idealized leadership, religious commitment, moral values, and civilizational achievement. Despite their distinct historical, cultural, and ideological contexts, both writers selectively reshape historical realities to create emotionally engaging narratives that connect the past with the aspirations of their respective societies. The study argues that romanticized history is not merely a literary technique but also a cultural and ideological discourse through which historical memory is interpreted and contemporary identities are constructed. By bringing Scott and Ḥijāzī into comparative dialogue, this study contributes to scholarship on historical fiction, comparative literature, nationalism, cultural memory, and the literary representation of the past.