Opinion: Feudalism Must Fall

We must stop treating feudalism as culture and start treating it as corruption. It is not tradition. It is tyranny

Pakistan cannot afford another generation ruled by cowards in castles, by MPs who don’t speak, and by elites who don’t care

By the People, For the People—But Never Truly Represented

By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden

Our Votes, Their Thrones

We cast our votes. They crown themselves.

We cry for justice. They sit in silence.

We send them to parliament. They never utter a word.

This is the tragedy of our democracy. A system designed to give power to the people has, in Pakistan—especially in Sindh—become a cruel stage where feudal lords and tribal chiefs continue to rule over powerless citizens as they did centuries ago. What kind of democracy elects those who never speak for us? What kind of representation installs landlords instead of lawmakers?

It is time to name the betrayal: feudalism. A system that enslaves minds, silences mouths, and chokes futures. A system so deeply rooted in our soil that it grows like a weed, blocking light, water, and life from the millions who till that very soil.

This article is not an academic report. It is a shout from the ground, from villages without schools, from hospitals without medicine, from roads that have crumbled and dreams that have died. It is the voice of every forgotten Pakistani who dares to ask: Why do we elect our oppressors? And how long must we suffer in the name of tradition?

The Inheritance of Power: A Rotten Legacy

Feudalism is not just a social structure—it is a disease passed from one generation to the next. It began when colonial rulers handed land to loyalists who would suppress rebellion and ensure obedience. The British left, but their local enforcers stayed. In Sindh, vast jagirs (landholdings) became kingdoms, and the lords became de facto monarchs.

Today, their descendants wear suits instead of turbans, but their mindset remains unchanged. They are above the law, beyond criticism, and unanswerable to the people. They inherit land, wealth, and political influence—without ever earning the respect or trust of those they rule.

The Silent Seats of Parliament

Have you ever watched a session of the National or Provincial Assembly? You will see empty seats or men in silence. Many of these “elected representatives” have no idea how to draft a bill, ask a question, or debate an issue. Some can barely read or write. Yet they are chosen again and again—not by the people’s will, but by fear, loyalty, and manipulation.

Why do they stay silent in parliament?

Because they were never sent there to speak.

They were sent to protect their lands, their mills, their factories, their influence over the police, and their unchecked control over government funds.

The people cry out, but their voices never reach Islamabad or Karachi. Their pain is lost in the soundproof chambers of political privilege.

The Cost of Silence: Lives Without Dignity

Let us speak plainly: feudalism kills. It kills dreams. It kills potential. It kills dignity.

In countless villages of Sindh and southern Punjab, people live in modern-day serfdom. Landless peasants work endless hours for pitiful wages. Children drop out of school to help in the fields. Women are married off to settle feuds. Justice is not a right—it is a favor, granted or denied by the will of the wadera (landlord).

Schools are ghost buildings. Clinics have no doctors. Roads disappear into dust. Electricity comes and goes. But the landlord’s bungalow is lit, air-conditioned, and guarded by armed men. His children study abroad. His family vacations in Dubai. And yet he wins the election—again and again.

This is not governance. It is an occupation.

Fear, Loyalty, and the Illusion of Choice

Some ask: if people hate their feudal rulers so much, why do they vote for them?

The answer is tragic: they often don’t have a real choice.

• In rural areas, the landlord controls the water supply, the police station, and even the polling station.
• Families are pressured or bribed to vote as the landlord instructs, or face social and economic punishment.
• Votes are bought. Ballot boxes are stuffed. Opponents are threatened or disqualified.
• Many voters are uneducated or misled through religious, cultural, or emotional manipulation.

Democracy, under feudalism, becomes theater. And the people remain locked in an endless play where the ending never changes.

Women in Chains: The Forgotten Half

In feudal societies, women are the first to suffer and the last to be saved.

They are denied inheritance, education, and autonomy. Their lives are controlled by the same lords who sit in parliament pretending to be progressives.

Feudal jirgas still rule in many areas. They decide who marries whom, who must be killed in “honor,” and who can speak. Women are often given as compensation in tribal disputes—traded like animals to protect a man’s pride.

What justice can be expected from a system where lawmakers practice slavery in their own homes?

Political Parties: Partners in Crime

Even so-called progressive political parties are guilty. They talk about justice, reform, and democracy. But when elections come, they award tickets to the same feudals, because they “bring votes.” Merit, vision, and integrity are sacrificed at the altar of electability.

As long as electoral success is measured by how many peasants you command, not how many ideas you propose, feudalism will thrive.

The Way Forward: Breaking the Chains

We must stop treating feudalism as culture and start treating it as corruption. It is not tradition. It is tyranny.

Here is what we, the people, demand:

1. Land Reforms: No one should own more land than they can farm. Redistribute unused and illegally occupied lands to the poor.
2. Transparent Governance: All parliamentarians must have their attendance, speeches, and bills made public.
3. Independent Judiciary and Police: No more special treatment for feudal criminals.
4. Media Exposure: Journalists must expose private jails, bonded labor, and absentee legislators.
5. Educational Revolution: Build real schools in rural areas. Educated citizens cannot be enslaved.
6. Empower Local Bodies: Let village-level leaders rise from among the people, not be appointed by landlords.
7. Youth Uprising: A peaceful, democratic movement led by students and workers to reject feudal control.
8. Courageous Political Reform: Parties must be forced to choose candidates based on merit, not money or muscle.

From Silence to Storm

We have been silent too long.

Our silence has built their empires.

Our fear has fed their power.

But now, we must rise.

Pakistan cannot afford another generation ruled by cowards in castles, by MPs who don’t speak, and by elites who don’t care. We are a young, brave, and dreaming nation. We deserve leaders who earn their place, speak their truth, and serve their people, not rulers who inherit thrones and demand blind loyalty.

The chains are visible now. The question is: do we have the will to break them?

Let this not just be an article. Let it be a call to reclaim our democracy, dignity, and destiny—from the fields of Sindh to the halls of parliament.

Feudalism must fall. And it must fall now.

Read: Quiet Power of Hope, Whisper of Wishes

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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.