Ethnic Nationalism:
Pakistan and India
What is Nationalism?
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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
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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
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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
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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?
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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
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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
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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
The Partition
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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
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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
Hindu Nationalism
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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
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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
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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.