postcolonial theory subaltern theory A postcolonial theory which designates and identifies colonial populations who are socially, politically, and geographically excluded from the hierarchy of power of an imperial colony and from the metropolitan homeland of an empire as subalterns. The lens of subaltern theory intends to explore political-actor role of the people who constitute the mass population, rather than re-explore the political-actor roles of the social and economic elites in the history of India. critical theory of subalternity subaltern studies subalternity