Author(s): Feroza Khatoon

Abstract: The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) has long shaped the country’s literary traditions, influencing storytelling structures, linguistic diversity, and stylistic choices. This paper explores how Salman Rushdie and Shashi Tharoor incorporate magic, myth, and multilingualism into their works, reflecting the epistemological and narrative frameworks of IKS. Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children and Tharoor’s The RiotandThe Great Indian Novelserve as primary texts, analyzed through the lens of oral traditions, intertextuality, mythological allegories, and code-switching. The study highlights how Rushdie’s magical realism and Tharoor’s historical intertextuality parallel ancient Indian storytelling, where myth and history intertwine seamlessly. Additionally, their extensive use of Indian languages, Sanskritized English, and cultural symbolism demonstrates the deep-rooted impact of IKS on their linguistic and stylistic innovations. By examining their narrative techniques, this paper argues that Rushdie and Tharoor do not merely write in English but rather "Indianize" the language, preserving indigenous literary traditions within global discourse.

Keywords: Chutnification, Heteroglossia, Indian Knowledge System, Intertextuality, Magic Realism, Midnight’s Children, Multilinguilism, Postcolonial Literature, Riot, Salman Rushdie, Shashi Tharoor, The Great Novel.

Article Info: Received: 09 Aug 2025; Received in revised form: 05 Sep 2025; Accepted: 09 Sep 2025; Available online: 12 Sep 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.105.13