Logo

Synopsis What exactly is the difference between Hindu nationalism and Indian nationalism? Does Hindu nationalism constitute a 'fundamentalist' form of Hinduism? Does, indeed, Hindu nationalism exist at all, or is it simply a polite way of referring to communalist forces? With Hindu nationalism asserting itself as a central concept in Indian politics today, there is a pressing need to comprehend and situate this idea in the context of modern Indian history. John Zavos examines the emergence of Hindu nationalism as a political ideology. He focuses on various movements which, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, sought to mobilize Hindus by presenting particular ideas of what it meant to be a Hindu. It was in these movements that the ideology of Hindu nationalism began to be articulated. A good deal of work has examined the development of Hindu nationalism from the 1920s onwards. This book looks at the ideological developments that brought the movement to this point of expansion. This book will be interest to historians, political analysts, and all social scientists.