Raja Gidh | راجه گدھ

Bano Qudsia (Author)

One of the most well-known and extensively read Urdu novels is Raja Gidh (Urdu: راجه ۯدؾ) by Bano Qudsia. A vulture is called in Urdu “gidh,” while a monarch is called “raja” in Hindi. The vulture kingdom is hinted at in the name. In truth, the novel’s metaphorical account of such a kingdom is told in parallel to the main plot. The vulture is used as a metaphor to represent the transgression of moral boundaries set by society or religion, as it mostly feeds on the carcasses of deceased animals.

The theological ideas of Halaal and Haraam were referenced in Bano Qudsia’s writing of this book. Raja Gidh, in which Bano Qudsia presents her theory, is often read by readers as a sermon.