Hindu Nationalism and the Language of Politics in Late Colonial India

In this book William Gould explores the nature of Hindu nationalism as an ideology and political language.

William Gould (Author)

9780521830614, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 15 April 2004

320 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.64 kg

Review of the hardback: 'The author handles his material with considerable dexterity and writes with some elegance.' Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society

In this book William Gould explores what is arguably one of the most important and controversial themes in twentieth-century Indian history and politics: the nature of Hindu nationalism as an ideology and political language. Rather than concentrating on the main institutions of the Hindu Right in India as other studies have done, the author uses a variety of historical sources to analyse how Hindu nationalism affected the supposedly secularist Congress in the key state of Uttar Pradesh. In this way, the author offers an alternative assessment of how these languages and ideologies transformed the relationship between Congress and north Indian Muslims. The book makes a major contribution to historical analyses of the critical last two decades before Partition and Independence in 1947, which will be of value to scholars interested in historical and contemporary Hindu nationalism, and to students researching the final stages of colonial power in India.

Acknowledgements
Glossary
List of abbreviations
1. Introduction
2. Congress and the Hindu nation: symbols, rhetoric and action
3. Muslims, mass movements and untouchable uplift
4. The Aryan Congress: history, youth and the 'Hindu Race'
5. Congress radicals and Hindu militancy
6. Congress 'Raj', riots and Muslim mass contacts
7. Congress, Pakistan and volunteer militarism
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Nationalism [JPFN], Hinduism [HRG], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], Asian history [HBJF]