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'''Indian nationalism''' refers to the many underlying forces that molded the ], and strongly continue to influence the ], as well as being the heart of many contrasting ideologies that have caused ethnic and religious conflict in Indian society. Indian nationalism often imbibes the consciousness of Indians that prior to 1947, India embodied the broader ] and influenced a part of ], known as ].
{{Short description|Territorial nationalist movement}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=June 2019}}
{{Original research|date=June 2022}}
{{Cleanup rewrite|reason=quality standards|date=June 2022}}
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{{Use Indian English|date=March 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
], which is often used as a symbol of Indian nationalism.]]
'''Indian nationalism''' is an instance of ], which is inclusive of all of the people of India, despite their ]. Indian nationalism can trace roots to pre-colonial India, but was fully developed during the ] which campaigned for ] from ]. Indian nationalism quickly rose to popularity in India through these united anti-colonial coalitions and movements. Independence movement figures like ], ], and ] spearheaded the Indian nationalist movement. After ], Nehru and his successors continued to campaign on Indian nationalism in face of border wars with both ] and ] After the ] and the ], Indian nationalism reached its post-independence peak. However by the 1980s, religious tensions reached a ] and Indian nationalism sluggishly collapsed in the following decades. Despite its decline and the rise of religious nationalism, Indian nationalism and its historic figures continue to strongly influence the ] and reflect an opposition to the sectarian strands of ] and ].<ref name="Lerner2011">{{citation|last=Lerner|first=Hanna|title=Making Constitutions in Deeply Divided Societies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MykpY_PRtmUC&pg=PA120|date=12 May 2011|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-139-50292-4|pages=120–}}</ref><ref name="Jaffrelot1999">{{citation|last=Jaffrelot|first=Christophe|title=The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics: 1925 to the 1990s : Strategies of Identity-building, Implantation and Mobilisation (with Special Reference to Central India)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iVsfVOTUnYEC&pg=PA13|year=1999|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-024602-5|pages=13–15,&nbsp;83}}</ref><ref name="PachuauStackhouse2007">{{citation|last1=Pachuau|first1=Lalsangkima|last2=Stackhouse|first2=Max L.|title=News of Boundless Riches|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6OPJ1BJCLw8C&pg=PA149|year=2007|publisher=ISPCK|isbn=978-81-8458-013-6|pages=149–150}}</ref><ref name="Leifer2000">{{citation|last=Leifer|first=Michael|title=Asian Nationalism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5eUlKdFdOvoC&pg=PA112|year=2000|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-415-23284-5|pages=112–}}</ref>


==National consciousness in India== ==National consciousness in India==
{{main|History of India}} {{Main|History of India}}
] under ].]] ] under ].]]
Among antient texts, the Indian subcontinent came to be called Bharat under the rule of ].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vyasa |first=Dwaipayana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=egw_EAAAQBAJ&dq=bharata+named+after+mahabharata&pg=PT2643 |title=The Mahabharata of Vyasa: (Complete 18 Volumes) |date=24 August 2021 |publisher=Enigma Edizioni |pages=2643 |language=en}}</ref> The ] was the first to unite all of ], and South Asia (including parts of ]).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BXG8AAAAQBAJ&q=mauryan+empire+afghanistan&pg=PA63|title=Afghanistan Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments geredigeerd door Inb, Inc|date=10 September 2013|publisher=International Business Publications, USA |isbn=9781438773728|access-date=27 February 2015}}{{broken|date=April 2023}}</ref> Much of India has also been unified by later empires, such as the ],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vyasa |first=Dwaipayana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=egw_EAAAQBAJ&dq=bharata+named+after+mahabharata&pg=PT2643 |title=The Mahabharata of Vyasa: (Complete 18 Volumes) |date=24 August 2021 |publisher=Enigma Edizioni |pages=2643 |language=en}}</ref> ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Davies |first=Cuthbert Collin |title=An Historical Atlas of the Indian Peninsula |date=1959 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-635139-1 |page=54}}</ref>
India has been unified under many emperors and governments in history. Ancient texts mention India under ] and ], these regions roughly form the entities of modern day ]. ] was the first to unite all of ], ], and much of ]. In addition, India has also been unified under a ] by empires, such as the ], ] and the ].


===Conception of Pan-South Asianism=== ===Conception of Pan-South Asianism===
India's concept of nationhood is based not merely on territorial extent of its sovereignty. Nationalistic sentiments and expression encompass that India's ancient history{{Fact|date=February 2008}}, as the birthplace of the ], and of four major world religions - ], ], ] and ]. Indian nationalists see India stretching along these lines across the Indian subcontinent. India's concept of nationhood is based not merely on territorial extent of its sovereignty. Nationalistic sentiments and expression encompass that India's ancient history,<ref>{{cite web |last=Acharya |first=Shiva |url=http://www.sundeepbooks.com/servlet/sugetbiblio?bno=005928 |title=Nation, Nationalism and Social Structure in Ancient India By Shiva Acharya |publisher=Sundeepbooks.com |access-date=2011-11-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215112205/http://www.sundeepbooks.com/servlet/sugetbiblio?bno=005928 |archive-date=15 February 2012}}</ref> as the birthplace of the ], as well as four major world religions – ], ], ] and ]. Indian nationalists see India stretching along these lines across the ].{{cn|date=April 2023}}

===Ages of war and invasion=== ===Ages of war and invasion===
]
], founder of the ].]]
]. The last ] empire of ].]] ] (yellow), without its vassals.|left]]
India today celebrates many kings and queens for combating foreign invasion and domination{{Fact|date=February 2008}}, such as ] of the ], Rani ] of ], ], ] of ], ], who combated the ] and ] who fought the British. The kings of ], such as ] and Emperor ] of the ] Empire, are also remembered for their military genius, incredible conquests and remarkable religious tolerance. India today celebrates many kings and queens for combating foreign invasion and domination,<ref name="vedamsbooks">{{cite web|url=https://www.vedamsbooks.com/no21816.htm |title=Mahrattas, Sikhs and Southern Sultans of India : Their Fight Against Foreign Power/edited by H.S. Bhatia |publisher=Vedamsbooks.com |access-date=2011-11-17}}</ref> such as ] of the ], Rani ] of ], ], ] of ], ] and ]. The kings of ], such as ] and ] of the ] Empire, are also remembered for their military genius, notable conquests and remarkable ].


Muslim kings are also a part of Indian pride{{Fact|date=February 2008}}. ] was a powerful Mughal emperor who sought to resolve religious differences, and was known to have a good relationship with the Roman Catholic Church as well as with his subjects - Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. He forged familial and political bonds with Hindu ] kings. Although previous Sultans had been more or less tolerant, Akbar took religious intermingling to new level of exploration. He developed for the first time in Islamic India an environment of complete religious freedom. Akbar undid most forms of religious discrimination, and invited the participation of wise Hindu ministers and kings, and even religious scholars to debate in his court. ] was a Mughal emperor, was known to have a good relationship with the Roman Catholic Church as well as with his subjects – Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains.<ref name="vedamsbooks" /> He forged familial and political bonds with Hindu ] kings. Although previous Sultans had been more or less tolerant, Akbar took religious intermingling to new level of exploration. He developed for the first time in Islamic India an environment of complete religious freedom. Akbar undid most forms of religious discrimination, and invited the participation of wise Hindu ministers and kings, and even religious scholars to debate in his court.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lane-Poole |first=Stanley |url=http://archive.org/details/historyofindia04jackuoft |title=History of India |publisher=Grolier society |others= |editor-last=Jackson |editor-first=A. V. Williams |location=London |pages=26-}}</ref>


==Colonial-era nationalism==
⚫ ==''Swaraj''==
''Main Articles: ], ], ]'' {{Main|Indian independence movement|Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian National Congress - Freedom Era}}
{{See also|Bal Gangadhar Tilak|Sri Aurobindo|1905 Partition of Bengal}}
] during the Second World War.]] ] during the Second World War.]]
In the ], Indian soldiers and regional kings fought the forces allied with the ] in different parts of India. This event laid the foundation not only for a nationwide expression, but also future nationalism and conflict on religious and ethnic terms{{Fact|date=February 2008}}.
The consolidation of the ]'s rule in the Indian subcontinent during the 18th century brought about socio-economic changes which led to the rise of an Indian ] and steadily eroded pre-colonial socio-religious institutions and barriers.<ref name=Mitra63>{{Harvnb|Mitra|2006|p=63}}</ref> The emerging economic and financial power of Indian business-owners and merchants and the professional class brought them increasingly into conflict with the British authorities. A rising political consciousness among the native Indian social elite (including lawyers, doctors, university graduates, government officials and similar groups) spawned an Indian identity<ref name=Crotty158>{{Harvnb|Croitt|Mjøset|2001|p=158}}</ref><ref name=Desaixxxiii>{{Harvnb|Desai|2005|p=xxxiii}}</ref> and fed a growing nationalist sentiment in India in the last decades of the nineteenth century.<ref name=Desai30>{{Harvnb|Desai|2005|p=30}}</ref> The creation in 1885 of the ] in India by the political reformer ] intensified the process by providing an important platform from which demands could be made for political liberalisation, increased autonomy, and social reform.<ref name=Yadav6>{{Harvnb|Yadav|1992|p=6}}</ref> The leaders of the Congress advocated dialogue and debate with the Raj administration to achieve their political goals. Distinct from these moderate voices (or loyalists) who did not preach or support violence was the nationalist movement, which grew particularly strong, radical and violent in ] and in ]. Notable but smaller movements also appeared in ], ] and other areas across the south.<ref name="Yadav6"/>


⚫ ===''Swadeshi''===
The Indian desire for complete freedom, or ''Swaraj'', was born with ], whose followers were the first to express the desire for complete independence, an idea that did not catch on until after ]. When the ] of hundreds of unarmed and innocent civilians by British forces took place in the same year, the Indian public was outraged and most of India's political leaders turned against the British.
{{Main|Swadeshi movement}}
The controversial ] escalated the growing unrest, stimulating radical nationalist sentiments and becoming a driving force for Indian revolutionaries.<ref name=Bose117>{{Harvnb|Bose|Jalal|1998|p=117}}</ref>


===The Gandhian era=== ===The Gandhian era===
⚫ ] pioneered the art of '']'', typified with a strict adherence to ] (non-violence), and ]. This permitted common individuals to engage the British in revolution, without employing violence or other distasteful means. Gandhi's equally strict adherence to democracy, religious and ethnic equality and brotherhood, as well as activist rejection of caste-based discrimination and ] united people across these demographic lines for the first time in India's history. The masses participated in India's independence struggle for the first time, and the membership of the Congress grew over tens of millions by the 1930s. In addition, Gandhi's victories in the ] and ] Satyagraha in 1918–19, gave confidence to a rising younger generation of Indian nationalists that India could gain independence from British rule. National leaders like ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] brought together generations of Indians across regions and demographics, and provided a strong leadership base giving the country political direction.


⚫ ==Beyond Indian nationalism==
⚫ ] pioneered the art of '']'', typified with a strict adherence to ] (non-violence), and ]. This permitted common individuals to engage the British in revolution, without employing violence or other distasteful means. Gandhi's equally strict adherence to ], religious and ethnic equality and brotherhood, as well as activist rejection of caste-based discrimination and ] united people across these demographic lines for the first time in India's history. The masses could participate in India's freedom struggle for the first time, and the membership of the Congress grew over tens of millions by the 1930s. In addition, Gandhi's victories in the ] in 1918-19, gave confidence to a rising younger generation of Indians that the British hegemony could be defeated. National leaders like ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] brought together generations of Indians across regions and demographics, and provided a strong leadership base giving the country political direction.
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2019}}

⚫ {{See also|Demographics of India}}
==More than just "Indian"==
⚫ Indian nationalism is as much a diverse blend of nationalistic sentiments as its people are ethnically and religiously diverse. Thus the most influential undercurrents are more than just ''Indian'' in nature. The most controversial and emotionally charged fibre in the fabric of Indian nationalism is religion. Religion forms a major, and in many cases, the central element of Indian life. Ethnic communities are diverse in terms of linguistics, social traditions and history across India.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lobo |first=Lancy |url=https://archive.org/details/globalisationhin0000lobo/page/26/mode/1up?q=Hindu+nationalism |title=Globalisation, Hindu nationalism, and Christians in India |date=2002 |publisher=Rawat Publications |isbn=978-81-7033-716-4 |location=Jaipur |page=26}}</ref>
⚫ ''See Also: ]''

⚫ Indian nationalism is as much a diverse blend of nationalistic sentiments as its people are ethnically and religiously diverse. Thus the most influential undercurrents are more than just ''Indian'' in nature. The most controversial and emotionally-charged fiber in the fabric of Indian nationalism is religion. Religion forms a major, and in many cases, the central element of Indian life. Ethnic communities are diverse in terms of linguistics, social traditions and history across India.


===Hindu Rashtra=== ===Hindu Rashtra===
{{main|Hindu nationalism}} {{Main|Hindu nationalism}}
⚫ An important influence upon Hindu consciousness arises from the time of ]. Entering the 20th century, Hindus formed over 75% of the population and thus unsurprisingly the backbone and platform of the nationalist movement. Modern Hindu thinking desired to unite Hindu society across the boundaries of ], linguistic groups and ethnicity. In 1925, ] founded the ] in ], Maharashtra, which grew into the largest civil organisation in the country, and the most potent, mainstream base of ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh {{!}} History, Ideology, & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rashtriya-Swayamsevak-Sangh|access-date=2020-07-28|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref>
]


⚫ ] coined the term '']'' for his ideology that described India as a '']'', a Hindu nation. This ideology has become the cornerstone of the political and religious agendas of modern Hindu nationalist bodies like the ] and the ]. Hindutva political demands include revoking Article 370 of the Constitution that grants a special semi-autonomous status to the Muslim-majority state of ], adopting a uniform civil code, thus ending a special legal frameworks for different religions in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-07|title=What is Uniform Civil Code?|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/why-uniform-civil-code-is-necessary-for-india-1477037384-1|access-date=2020-07-28|website=Jagranjosh.com}}</ref> These particular demands are based upon ending laws that Hindu nationalists consider to be special treatment offered to different religions.<ref>{{Cite news|title=WHAT IS UNIFORM CIVIL CODE|work=Business Standard|url=https://www.business-standard.com/about/what-is-uniform-civil-code|access-date=2020-07-28}}</ref>
⚫ An important influence upon Hindu consciousness arises from the time of ], during which many Hindu temples were destroyed and Hindus forcibly converted to ], and millions of Hindus killed by Muslim invaders. Entering the 20th century, Hindus formed over 75% of the population and thus unsurprisingly the backbone and platform of the nationalist movement. Modern Hindu thinking desired to unite Hindu society across the boundaries of ], lingustic groups and ethnicity. In 1925, ] founded the ] in ], ], which grew into the largest civil organization in the country, and more potent, mainstream base of ].

⚫ ] coined the term '']'' for his ideology that described India as a '']'', a Hindu nation. This ideology has become the cornerstone of the political and religious agendas of modern Hindu nationalist bodies like the ] and the ]. Hindutva political demands include revoking Article 370 of the Constitution that grants a special semi-autonomous status to the Muslim-majority state of ], adopting a uniform civil code, thus ending a special legal framework for Muslims. These particular demands are based upon ending laws that Hindu nationalists consider as offering special treatment to Muslims. Demands like banning cow slaughter and building a ] temple in ].


===The Qaum=== ===The Qaum===
{{Main|Indian Muslim nationalism|Two-nation theory}}
⚫ In 1906–1907, the ] was founded, created due to the suspicion of Muslim intellectuals and religious leaders with the ], which was perceived as dominated by Hindu membership and opinions. However, ]'s leadership attracted a wide array of Muslims to the independence struggle and the Congress Party. The ] and the ] stand apart – the former helped form the Muslim league, while the JMI was founded to promote Muslim education and consciousness upon nationalistic and Gandhian values and thought.


While prominent Muslims like ], ] and ] embraced the notion that Hindus and Muslims were distinct nations, other major leaders like ], ] and most of ] clerics strongly backed the leadership of ] and the Indian independence struggle, opposing any notion of ]. The Muslim school of Indian nationalism failed to attract Muslim masses and the ] ] enjoyed extensive popular political support. The ] was ultimately formed following the ].


==Views on the partition of India==
{{Main|Opposition to the partition of India}}
{{Further|Indian reunification|Hindu–Muslim unity}}
Indian nationalists led by ] and ] wanted to make what was then British India, as well as the 562 princely states under British paramountcy, into a single secular, democratic state.<ref name="Hardgrave, Robert. -India: The Dilemmas of Diversity">Hardgrave, Robert. , ''Journal of Democracy'', pp. 54–65</ref> The ], which represented nationalist Muslims, gathered in Delhi in April 1940 to voice its support for an ].<ref name="QasmiRobb2017">{{cite book |last1=Qasmi |first1=Ali Usman |last2=Robb |first2=Megan Eaton |title=Muslims against the Muslim League: Critiques of the Idea of Pakistan |date=2017 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781108621236 |page=2 |language=en}}</ref> The British Government, however, sidelined the 'All India' organization from the independence process and came to see Jinnah, who advocated separatism, as the sole representative of Indian Muslims.<ref name="Shodganga">{{citation |last=Qaiser |first=Rizwan |chapter=Towards United and Federate India: 1940-47 |title=Maulana Abul Kalam Azad a study of his role in Indian Nationalist Movement 1919–47 |publisher=Jawaharlal Nehru University/Shodhganga |year=2005 |hdl=10603/31090 |at=Chapter 5, pp.&nbsp;193, 198}}</ref> This was viewed with dismay by many Indian nationalists, who viewed Jinnah's ideology as damaging and unnecessarily divisive.<ref>Raj Pruthi, ''Paradox of Partition: Partition of India and the British strategy'', Sumit Enterprises (2008), p. 444</ref>


In an interview with ], Nehru said that he and his fellow Congressmen were "tired" after the independence movement, so were not ready to further drag on the matter for years with Jinnah's Muslim League, and that, anyway, they "expected that partition would be temporary, that Pakistan would come back to us."<ref>Sankar Ghose, ''Jawaharlal Nehru, a Biography'', Allied Publishers (1993), pp. 160-161</ref> Gandhi also thought that the Partition would be undone.<ref>Raj Pruthi, ''Paradox of Partition: Partition of India and the British strategy'', Sumit Enterprises (2008), p. 443</ref> The ], in a resolution adopted on 14 June 1947, openly stated that "geography and the mountains and the seas fashioned India as she is, and no human agency can change that shape or come in the way of its final destiny... at when present passions have subsided, India's problems will be viewed in their proper perspective and the false doctrine of two nations will be discredited and discarded by all."<ref>Graham Chapman, ''The Geopolitics of South Asia: From Early Empires to the Nuclear Age'', Ashgate Publishing (2012), p. 326</ref> ], who had an important role in the transfer of power in 1947, quotes another major Congress politician, ], who said that "the division is only of the map of the country and not in the hearts of the people, and I am sure it is going to be a short-lived partition."<ref>V.P. Menon, ''The Transfer of Power in India'', Orient Blackswan (1998), p. 385</ref> ], President of the Congress during the days of Partition, stated that making India "a strong, happy, democratic and socialist state" would ensure that "such an India can win back the seceding children to its lap... for the freedom we have achieved cannot be complete without the unity of India."<ref>G. C. Kendadamath, ''J.B. Kripalani, a study of his political ideas'', Ganga Kaveri Pub. House (1992), p. 59</ref> Yet another leader of the Congress, ], said that she did not consider India's flag to be India's because "India is divided" and that "this is merely a temporary geographical separation. There is no spirit of separation in the heart of India."<ref>''Constituent Assembly Debates: Official Report'', Volume 4, Lok Sabha secretariat, 14 July 1947, p. 761</ref>
] strongly favored a united India.]]
⚫ {{main|Indian Muslim nationalism}}
⚫ In 1906-1907, the ] was founded, created due to the suspicion of Muslim intellectuals and religious leaders with the ], which was perceived as dominated by Hindu membership and opinions. However, ]'s leadership attracted a wide array of Muslims to the freedom struggle and the Congress Party. The ] and the ] stand apart - the former was averse to the freedom struggle, while the JMI was founded to promote Muslim education and consciousness upon nationalistic and Gandhian values and thought.


Giving a more general assessment, ] says that "many speakers in the ] expressed the belief that the ]."<ref>Paul R. Brass, ''The Politics of India Since Independence'', Cambridge University Press (1994), p. 10</ref>
While prominent Muslims like ] and ] embraced the notion that Hindus and Muslims were distinct nations, other major leaders like ], ], ], ] strongly backed the leadership of ] and the Indian freedom struggle, opposing any notion of Muslim separatism. This school of Muslim nationalism did not enjoy much support in the provinces of ], ], ] and ], where the ] enjoyed extensive political power, and where Pakistan was ultimately formed. ], ] and ] were all Muslims, and holders of the Presidency of the Republic. Actors ], ], ], music legends ], ] and cricketers ], ], ], ] and ] are icons to the Indian public.


==See also==
==Nationalism and politics==
* ]
] led India to victory in 1971 against ], imposed the ], led it to become a nuclear power state in 1974 and is blamed for the ] insurgency and ] - a controversial blend of nationalism and hard politics.]]
⚫ * ]
The political identity of the ], India's largest political party and one which controlled government for over 45 years, is reliant on the connection to ] and ], and the ] which has controlled the Congress since independence. The Congress Party's fortunes up till the 1970s were single-handedly propelled by its legacy as the flagship of India's Independence Movement, and the core platform of the party today evokes that past strongly, considering itself to be the guardian of India's freedom, democracy and unity. Muslims have remained loyal voters of the Congress Party, seen as defender of Nehruvian secularism{{Fact|date=February 2008}}. In contrast, the ] employs a more aggressively nationalistic expression. The BJP seeks to defend the culture and heritage of India and the majority of its people, the ] population. It ties nationalism with the aggressive defence of India's borders and interests against archrivals ] and ], with the defence of the majority's right to be a majority.
⚫ * ]
* ]


==References==
Religious nationalist parties include the ], which is closely identified with the creation of a Sikh-majority state in ] and includes many Sikh religious leaders in its organization. In ], the ] uses the legacy of the independent ] kingdom under heroes like ] to stir up support, and has adopted ] as well. In ], the ] is a more state-focused party, arising after the frustration of the ] as a benevolent expression of Assamese nationalism. In ] came the first of such parties, the ]. Today the DK stands for a collection of parties{{Fact|date=February 2008}}, with the DMK, the ], the ] and the ]. Caste-based politics invite the participation of the ] and the party of ], who build upon the support of poor low-caste and ] ] in the northern, and most populated states of India like ] and ]. Almost every Indian state has a regional party devoted solely to the culture of the native people of that state.
{{Reflist|30em}}


==Bibliography==
==Nationalism and military conflicts==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
⚫ {{main|Military History of India}}
*{{citation |last1= Bose |first1= Sugata |last2= Jalal |first2= Ayesha |year= 1998 |title= Modern South Asia: History, Culture, Political Economy |place= New York |publisher= Routledge |isbn= 0-415-16952-6}}
{{see|Indo-Pakistani Wars}}
*{{citation |last1= Croitt | first1= Raymond D |last2= Mjøset | first2= Lars |year = 2001 |title= When Histories Collide |place= Oxford, UK|publisher= AltaMira |isbn= 0-7591-0158-2}}
], over a million troops strong, is the 3rd largest army in the world]]
*{{citation |last=Desai |first=A.R. |title=Social Background of Indian Nationalism (6Th-Edn) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZykLXjdG9S8C |date=2005 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=978-81-7154-667-1}}
Military history, both past and present, serves as a source of nationalist sentiment in India.
*{{citation |last=Mitra |first=Subrata K. |title=The Puzzle of India's Governance: Culture, Context and Comparative Theory |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GuILNHwcT4AC |year=2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-27493-2}}
*{{citation |last=Mukherjee |first=Bratindra Nath |author-link=B. N. Mukherjee |title=Nationhood and Statehood in India: A historical survey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MTGKAAAAMAAJ |date=2001 |publisher=Regency Publications |isbn=978-81-87498-26-1 |ref={{sfnref|Mukherjee, Nationhood and Statehood in India|2001}}}}
*{{citation |last= Yadav |first= B.D |year= 1992 |title= M.P.T. Acharya, Reminiscences of an Indian Revolutionary |place= New Delhi |publisher= Anmol Publications Pvt ltd |isbn= 81-7041-470-9}}
{{Refend}}


== See also == ==External links==
*{{Commonscatinline|Indian nationalism}}
⚫ * ]


{{India topics}} {{India topics}}
{{Ethnic nationalism}}
⚫ ]
{{Indian Independence Movement}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Indian Nationalism}}
]
]
⚫ ]

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Territorial nationalist movement
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The flag of India, which is often used as a symbol of Indian nationalism.

Indian nationalism is an instance of territorial nationalism, which is inclusive of all of the people of India, despite their diverse ethnic, linguistic and religious backgrounds. Indian nationalism can trace roots to pre-colonial India, but was fully developed during the Indian independence movement which campaigned for independence from British rule. Indian nationalism quickly rose to popularity in India through these united anti-colonial coalitions and movements. Independence movement figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Jawaharlal Nehru spearheaded the Indian nationalist movement. After Indian Independence, Nehru and his successors continued to campaign on Indian nationalism in face of border wars with both China and Pakistan. After the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 and the Bangladesh Liberation War, Indian nationalism reached its post-independence peak. However by the 1980s, religious tensions reached a melting point and Indian nationalism sluggishly collapsed in the following decades. Despite its decline and the rise of religious nationalism, Indian nationalism and its historic figures continue to strongly influence the politics of India and reflect an opposition to the sectarian strands of Hindu nationalism and Muslim nationalism.

National consciousness in India

Main article: History of India
The largest extent of the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka.

Among antient texts, the Indian subcontinent came to be called Bharat under the rule of Bharata. The Maurya Empire was the first to unite all of India, and South Asia (including parts of Afghanistan). Much of India has also been unified by later empires, such as the Mughal Empire, Maratha Empire.

Conception of Pan-South Asianism

India's concept of nationhood is based not merely on territorial extent of its sovereignty. Nationalistic sentiments and expression encompass that India's ancient history, as the birthplace of the Indus Valley civilisation, as well as four major world religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Indian nationalists see India stretching along these lines across the Indian subcontinent.

Ages of war and invasion

The Mughal Empire at its greatest extent, in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
The extent of Maratha Empire (yellow), without its vassals.

India today celebrates many kings and queens for combating foreign invasion and domination, such as Shivaji of the Maratha Empire, Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, Kittur Chennamma, Maharana Pratap of Rajputana, Prithviraj Chauhan and Tipu Sultan. The kings of Ancient India, such as Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka of the Magadha Empire, are also remembered for their military genius, notable conquests and remarkable religious tolerance.

Akbar was a Mughal emperor, was known to have a good relationship with the Roman Catholic Church as well as with his subjects – Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. He forged familial and political bonds with Hindu Rajput kings. Although previous Sultans had been more or less tolerant, Akbar took religious intermingling to new level of exploration. He developed for the first time in Islamic India an environment of complete religious freedom. Akbar undid most forms of religious discrimination, and invited the participation of wise Hindu ministers and kings, and even religious scholars to debate in his court.

Colonial-era nationalism

Main articles: Indian independence movement, Indian Rebellion of 1857, and Indian National Congress - Freedom Era See also: Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sri Aurobindo, and 1905 Partition of Bengal
The flag adopted in 1931 by the Congress and used by the Provisional Government of Free India during the Second World War.

The consolidation of the British East India Company's rule in the Indian subcontinent during the 18th century brought about socio-economic changes which led to the rise of an Indian middle class and steadily eroded pre-colonial socio-religious institutions and barriers. The emerging economic and financial power of Indian business-owners and merchants and the professional class brought them increasingly into conflict with the British authorities. A rising political consciousness among the native Indian social elite (including lawyers, doctors, university graduates, government officials and similar groups) spawned an Indian identity and fed a growing nationalist sentiment in India in the last decades of the nineteenth century. The creation in 1885 of the Indian National Congress in India by the political reformer A.O. Hume intensified the process by providing an important platform from which demands could be made for political liberalisation, increased autonomy, and social reform. The leaders of the Congress advocated dialogue and debate with the Raj administration to achieve their political goals. Distinct from these moderate voices (or loyalists) who did not preach or support violence was the nationalist movement, which grew particularly strong, radical and violent in Bengal and in Punjab. Notable but smaller movements also appeared in Maharashtra, Madras and other areas across the south.

Swadeshi

Main article: Swadeshi movement

The controversial 1905 partition of Bengal escalated the growing unrest, stimulating radical nationalist sentiments and becoming a driving force for Indian revolutionaries.

The Gandhian era

Mahatma Gandhi pioneered the art of Satyagraha, typified with a strict adherence to ahimsa (non-violence), and civil disobedience. This permitted common individuals to engage the British in revolution, without employing violence or other distasteful means. Gandhi's equally strict adherence to democracy, religious and ethnic equality and brotherhood, as well as activist rejection of caste-based discrimination and untouchability united people across these demographic lines for the first time in India's history. The masses participated in India's independence struggle for the first time, and the membership of the Congress grew over tens of millions by the 1930s. In addition, Gandhi's victories in the Champaran and Kheda Satyagraha in 1918–19, gave confidence to a rising younger generation of Indian nationalists that India could gain independence from British rule. National leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Maulana Azad, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, Rajendra Prasad and Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan brought together generations of Indians across regions and demographics, and provided a strong leadership base giving the country political direction.

Beyond Indian nationalism

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See also: Demographics of India

Indian nationalism is as much a diverse blend of nationalistic sentiments as its people are ethnically and religiously diverse. Thus the most influential undercurrents are more than just Indian in nature. The most controversial and emotionally charged fibre in the fabric of Indian nationalism is religion. Religion forms a major, and in many cases, the central element of Indian life. Ethnic communities are diverse in terms of linguistics, social traditions and history across India.

Hindu Rashtra

Main article: Hindu nationalism

An important influence upon Hindu consciousness arises from the time of Islamic empires in India. Entering the 20th century, Hindus formed over 75% of the population and thus unsurprisingly the backbone and platform of the nationalist movement. Modern Hindu thinking desired to unite Hindu society across the boundaries of caste, linguistic groups and ethnicity. In 1925, K.B. Hedgewar founded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Nagpur, Maharashtra, which grew into the largest civil organisation in the country, and the most potent, mainstream base of Hindu nationalism.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar coined the term Hindutva for his ideology that described India as a Hindu Rashtra, a Hindu nation. This ideology has become the cornerstone of the political and religious agendas of modern Hindu nationalist bodies like the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Hindutva political demands include revoking Article 370 of the Constitution that grants a special semi-autonomous status to the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir, adopting a uniform civil code, thus ending a special legal frameworks for different religions in the country. These particular demands are based upon ending laws that Hindu nationalists consider to be special treatment offered to different religions.

The Qaum

Main articles: Indian Muslim nationalism and Two-nation theory

In 1906–1907, the All-India Muslim League was founded, created due to the suspicion of Muslim intellectuals and religious leaders with the Indian National Congress, which was perceived as dominated by Hindu membership and opinions. However, Mahatma Gandhi's leadership attracted a wide array of Muslims to the independence struggle and the Congress Party. The Aligarh Muslim University and the Jamia Millia Islamia stand apart – the former helped form the Muslim league, while the JMI was founded to promote Muslim education and consciousness upon nationalistic and Gandhian values and thought.

While prominent Muslims like Allama Iqbal, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan embraced the notion that Hindus and Muslims were distinct nations, other major leaders like Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, Maulana Azad and most of Deobandi clerics strongly backed the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian independence struggle, opposing any notion of Muslim nationalism and separatism. The Muslim school of Indian nationalism failed to attract Muslim masses and the Islamic nationalist Muslim League enjoyed extensive popular political support. The state of Pakistan was ultimately formed following the Partition of India.

Views on the partition of India

Main article: Opposition to the partition of India Further information: Indian reunification and Hindu–Muslim unity

Indian nationalists led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to make what was then British India, as well as the 562 princely states under British paramountcy, into a single secular, democratic state. The All India Azad Muslim Conference, which represented nationalist Muslims, gathered in Delhi in April 1940 to voice its support for an independent and united India. The British Government, however, sidelined the 'All India' organization from the independence process and came to see Jinnah, who advocated separatism, as the sole representative of Indian Muslims. This was viewed with dismay by many Indian nationalists, who viewed Jinnah's ideology as damaging and unnecessarily divisive.

In an interview with Leonard Mosley, Nehru said that he and his fellow Congressmen were "tired" after the independence movement, so were not ready to further drag on the matter for years with Jinnah's Muslim League, and that, anyway, they "expected that partition would be temporary, that Pakistan would come back to us." Gandhi also thought that the Partition would be undone. The All India Congress Committee, in a resolution adopted on 14 June 1947, openly stated that "geography and the mountains and the seas fashioned India as she is, and no human agency can change that shape or come in the way of its final destiny... at when present passions have subsided, India's problems will be viewed in their proper perspective and the false doctrine of two nations will be discredited and discarded by all." V.P. Menon, who had an important role in the transfer of power in 1947, quotes another major Congress politician, Abul Kalam Azad, who said that "the division is only of the map of the country and not in the hearts of the people, and I am sure it is going to be a short-lived partition." Acharya Kripalani, President of the Congress during the days of Partition, stated that making India "a strong, happy, democratic and socialist state" would ensure that "such an India can win back the seceding children to its lap... for the freedom we have achieved cannot be complete without the unity of India." Yet another leader of the Congress, Sarojini Naidu, said that she did not consider India's flag to be India's because "India is divided" and that "this is merely a temporary geographical separation. There is no spirit of separation in the heart of India."

Giving a more general assessment, Paul Brass says that "many speakers in the Constituent Assembly expressed the belief that the unity of India would be ultimately restored."

See also

References

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  2. Jaffrelot, Christophe (1999), The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics: 1925 to the 1990s : Strategies of Identity-building, Implantation and Mobilisation (with Special Reference to Central India), Penguin Books India, pp. 13–15, 83, ISBN 978-0-14-024602-5
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  5. Vyasa, Dwaipayana (24 August 2021). The Mahabharata of Vyasa: (Complete 18 Volumes). Enigma Edizioni. p. 2643.
  6. Afghanistan Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments geredigeerd door Inb, Inc. International Business Publications, USA. 10 September 2013. ISBN 9781438773728. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
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  8. Davies, Cuthbert Collin (1959). An Historical Atlas of the Indian Peninsula. Oxford University Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-19-635139-1.
  9. Acharya, Shiva. "Nation, Nationalism and Social Structure in Ancient India By Shiva Acharya". Sundeepbooks.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  10. ^ "Mahrattas, Sikhs and Southern Sultans of India : Their Fight Against Foreign Power/edited by H.S. Bhatia". Vedamsbooks.com. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
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  12. Mitra 2006, p. 63
  13. Croitt & Mjøset 2001, p. 158
  14. Desai 2005, p. xxxiii
  15. Desai 2005, p. 30
  16. ^ Yadav 1992, p. 6
  17. Bose & Jalal 1998, p. 117
  18. Lobo, Lancy (2002). Globalisation, Hindu nationalism, and Christians in India. Jaipur: Rawat Publications. p. 26. ISBN 978-81-7033-716-4.
  19. "Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh | History, Ideology, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  20. "What is Uniform Civil Code?". Jagranjosh.com. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  21. "WHAT IS UNIFORM CIVIL CODE". Business Standard. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  22. Hardgrave, Robert. "India: The Dilemmas of Diversity", Journal of Democracy, pp. 54–65
  23. Qasmi, Ali Usman; Robb, Megan Eaton (2017). Muslims against the Muslim League: Critiques of the Idea of Pakistan. Cambridge University Press. p. 2. ISBN 9781108621236.
  24. Qaiser, Rizwan (2005), "Towards United and Federate India: 1940-47", Maulana Abul Kalam Azad a study of his role in Indian Nationalist Movement 1919–47, Jawaharlal Nehru University/Shodhganga, Chapter 5, pp. 193, 198, hdl:10603/31090
  25. Raj Pruthi, Paradox of Partition: Partition of India and the British strategy, Sumit Enterprises (2008), p. 444
  26. Sankar Ghose, Jawaharlal Nehru, a Biography, Allied Publishers (1993), pp. 160-161
  27. Raj Pruthi, Paradox of Partition: Partition of India and the British strategy, Sumit Enterprises (2008), p. 443
  28. Graham Chapman, The Geopolitics of South Asia: From Early Empires to the Nuclear Age, Ashgate Publishing (2012), p. 326
  29. V.P. Menon, The Transfer of Power in India, Orient Blackswan (1998), p. 385
  30. G. C. Kendadamath, J.B. Kripalani, a study of his political ideas, Ganga Kaveri Pub. House (1992), p. 59
  31. Constituent Assembly Debates: Official Report, Volume 4, Lok Sabha secretariat, 14 July 1947, p. 761
  32. Paul R. Brass, The Politics of India Since Independence, Cambridge University Press (1994), p. 10

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