Question

. How was a Nationalism of india different from nationalism in Europe?
​

Answer 1

Answer:

European nationalism began with romantic nationalism with emphasis on cultural, religious, linguistic, racial or ethnic unity in the nation state. The French revolution took this to - “liberty, equality and fraternity”, towards the modern-nation state.

Indian nationalism is Territorial nationalism - a consequence of its diversity. Though, the concept of Akhand Bharat did exist as both a theoritical and realistic concept, the modern Indian nationalism was the fallout of anti-colonialism and its associated paraphernalia. A similar phenomenon can be observed in the vast majority of the African and Asian ex-colonies.

Despite both Indian and European nationalism springing from the democratic principles of equality, their past plays a major influence leading to vast differences in their manifestations.

European nationalism is in its essence romantic nationalism, tempered by modern ideals and a few hundred years of political, economic and territorial considerations. This is evident from the modern nation states of Europe demarcated by linguistic or ethnic factors. As can be seen, the national boundaries of European nations and their ethnic or linguistic boundaries on the below map align to a great extent.

Explanation: