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Ethnic Nationalism: Pakistan and India. What is Nationalism? . Anthony Smith: ‘Nationalism provides perhaps the most compelling identity myth in the modern world’
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What is Nationalism? • Anthony Smith: ‘Nationalism provides perhaps the most compelling identity myth in the modern world’ • In its broadest sense: Nationalism is simply an ideological movement that draws upon national identity in order to achieve certain political goals • Is it a negative or positive phenomenon?
Nationalisms • Nationalism is such a complex phenomenon that it may be better to think in terms of nationalisms. • Broadly, nationalism can be divided into two sub-categories: civic and ethnic nationalism.
Civic Nationalism • Often seen as a set of state-building practices, concerned with the political, economic, and cultural systems that serve to bind people together.
Ethnic Nationalism • Replaces the formal language of civic nationalism (rights and systems) with the language of ‘belonging’. • Thus, what makes the nation a place to which people feel they belong is not the result of shared rights, but of people’s pre-existing ethnic characteristics: their language, religion, customs and traditions.
How is nationalistic sentiment created? • What type of nationalism is predominant in the US? • Where do people in the US develop a sense of nationalism? • What are the roles of symbols and representations in shaping a sense of nationalism?
Precolonial South Asia • Prior to British arrival much of south Asia was under Mogul rule • Mogul’s were Turko-Persian Muslims • The Moguls left a unique heritage of architecture, art, literature, and linguistics. • Mogul rule left an indelible mark on the largely Hindu cultural complex of the region.
Colonialism: Solidifying ethnic differences • The British had a strong presence in the region by 1750. • Divide a rule tactics: Often supported the interests of minority populations in order to weaken the power of the majority. • British intentionally heightened tensions between Muslims and Hindus in order to create a role for themselves as benevolent mediator.
The Partition • After centuries of divide and rule tactics, elite Muslims feared that independence would undermine there political power because the majority of the region is Hindu. With British support they advocated for a partitioning of British India along ethnic lines after decolonization in 1947. • As a result more than 8 million people were forced from their homes and more than a million people lost their lives.
New Nations New Nationalisms • India was divided into India and East and West Pakistan (later Pakistan and Bangladesh). • Both countries developed secular constitutions: This suggests that despite being formed along ethnic lines the new countries sought to gain legitimacy through forms of civic nationalism. Yet ethnic nationalisms are powerful forces in the region
Hindu Nationalism • World’s most populous democracy. • The secular constitution in India has undermined much of the political power of middle and upper caste groups. • Hindu nationalism is predominantly supported by men from these upper groups who feel threatened by the extension of a caste based quota system for government jobs and for seats in the universities.
Muslim Nationalism • Muslim nationalism in Pakistan has been fuelled by a number of issues: • India’s control of Kashmir. • Perceived threats to the Muslim faith from the “West” • The presence of the Mujahideen in Pakistan.
Ethnic Nationalism and Nuclear War • Despite a long history of peaceful coexistence, the ethnic divisions between Hindus and Muslims in South Asia have grown increasingly powerful. • The colonial experience in this region helped to create a strong distrust between Hindus and Muslims. • The rise of ethnic nationalisms in the nations of South Asia poses a significant threat to global peace and security. • Both Pakistan and India had developed and tested nuclear weapons by 1998.
