Nationalism

Topic: Nationalism and National Self-determination · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 7 "Nationalism"

Meaning

Nationalism is a political belief built on loyalty to one's nation. A nation is a group of people who feel they belong together because of shared history, culture, language or hopes for the future. Over the last two centuries, nationalism has united people and divided them. It has freed colonies, broken up empires and redrawn the borders of states. That is why NCERT (Class 11, Ch 7) calls it double-edged (it has both a good side and a harmful side).

Explanation

What nationalism looks like and why it is hard to define

• Popular images: patriotism, the national flag, sacrifice for the country and the Republic Day parade in Delhi. The parade shows the nation's power, strength and diversity.
• It has no fixed definition. NCERT admits that the term is hard to define exactly.
• A nation is built on feeling, not on law.
• It rests on a shared sense of belonging.
• Shared history, culture, language and hopes for the future help build that feeling.

• None of these is strictly required.

• It has two sides. Nationalism has:

• inspired strong loyalty, and also deep hatred;
• united people, and also divided them;
• freed people from colonial rule, and also caused wars;
• broken up empires and redrawn the borders of states.

The four phases of nationalism

Phase	What happened	Effect on states
19th century: unification	Small kingdoms joined to form Italy (1861; Rome added 1870) and Germany (1871). New states formed in Latin America. Local dialects were merged into national languages.	Small units joined into bigger states
Early 20th century: break-up	The Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires broke up	Big empires split into smaller states
Decolonisation (mainly after 1945)	The British, French, Dutch and Portuguese colonial empires ended	Colonies became new sovereign states
From 1960: separatism	Groups inside stable states asked for more self-rule or for separation: Quebecois (Canada), Basques (Spain), Kurds (Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria), Sri Lankan Tamils	Existing states are pushed to split

• The same force can push in opposite directions:
• Pan-Arab nationalism tries to unite several Arab states into one community.
• Basque and Kurdish movements try to divide existing states.

The nation-state and its base, sovereignty

• Nation-state: a state that claims its borders mark a unique culture and shared history, not just a piece of land.
• Origin: the idea grew with the French Revolution (1789).

• The Revolution gave the idea of national sovereignty (final power belongs to the nation, meaning the people, not to a king).

• Westphalian sovereignty is older. It is the rule that each state has full and exclusive power over its own land and inner affairs, and outsiders must not interfere.

• It comes from the Peace of Westphalia (1648), which ended the Thirty Years' War. The treaties were signed at Münster and Osnabrück [4].
• It confirmed the independence of the Netherlands from Spain and of Switzerland from the Empire [4].
• Scholars treat it as the start of the modern state system and of territorial sovereignty [4].

• Its three principles: (1) exclusive power over territory, (2) legal equality of all states, big or small, and (3) non-interference in other states' affairs.

• The same principles are in the UN Charter, Article 2:

• Art. 2(1): the UN is based on the sovereign equality of all its members [2][3].
• Art. 2(4): members must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state [2][3].
• Art. 2(7): the UN may not interfere in matters essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of a state. The exception is enforcement measures under Chapter VII (Security Council action against threats to peace) [2][3].

Limits: one nation and one state rarely match

• Most of the UN's 193 members call themselves nation-states. Yet many are multinational (they hold more than one national group). Examples are India, the UK, Spain and Canada.
• One nation can live across many states. The Kurds are spread across Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria.
• Forces that weaken the nation-state:
• Pooled sovereignty in the EU. Member states hand some powers, such as trade and a common currency, to a shared body.

• Responsibility to Protect (R2P) was adopted at the 2005 World Summit (paras 138–139 of the Outcome Document) [5].

  • Para 138: each state must protect its people from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity [5].
  • Para 139: the UN should first use peaceful means (Chapters VI and VIII). If a state is "manifestly failing" to protect its people, the Security Council can act under Chapter VII, deciding case by case [5].
  • Effect: sovereignty becomes a duty as well as a right.

• Forces that strengthen the nation-state:

• Brexit: the UK voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum and left on 31 January 2020.
• Economic nationalism: "America First" and tariff nationalism (using import taxes to protect home industry).
• Ethno-nationalism: nationalism based on one ethnic, religious or language group.
• Diaspora nationalism: people who have moved abroad keep their national identity.

In the Constitution and practice

• India is a multinational state. NCERT names it alongside the UK, Spain and Canada. India's model of nationalism is about holding diversity together, not making everyone the same.
• Constitutional anchors of Indian nationalism (settled text):
• Article 1: "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States."
• Preamble: it promises fraternity (a feeling of brotherhood among citizens) "assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation". The word "integrity" was added by the 42nd Amendment (1976).

• Article 51A (Fundamental Duties, added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976):

  • Clause (b): citizens should cherish the noble ideals of the freedom struggle.
  • Clause (c): citizens should uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.

• Republic Day parade: this is NCERT's own example of nationalism on public display. It shows the nation's strength and diversity.

• Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India): a recent example of economic nationalism.
• The PM announced it on 12 May 2020 with a special package of ₹20 lakh crore, about 10% of GDP, to fight the COVID-19 crisis [6].
• Its five pillars are Economy, Infrastructure, System, Vibrant Demography and Demand [6].
• The Finance Minister gave the details at press conferences from 13 to 17 May 2020 [7].

• Its aims were to compete in global supply chains, make business easier, support MSMEs (small businesses), attract FDI (foreign direct investment) and strengthen Make in India [7].

• Diaspora example (NCERT cartoon): Indians cheer the national cricket team, and Indians abroad still watch Bollywood films. This shows that globalisation has not wiped out national feeling.

Don't confuse with

• Nation vs State: a nation is a community built on belief and a shared sense of belonging. A state is a legal and political body with four elements: population, territory, government and sovereignty.
• National sovereignty (1789) vs Westphalian state sovereignty (1648): Westphalia gave state sovereignty (a state's control over its own land). The French Revolution gave national (popular) sovereignty (final power belongs to the people). The nation-state idea comes from 1789, not 1648.
• Unifying nationalism vs separatist nationalism: Pan-Arab nationalism seeks to join states together. Basque and Kurdish movements seek to split existing states.
• Pooled sovereignty vs Atmanirbhar/Brexit-style nationalism: pooled sovereignty (EU) means giving some powers to a shared body. Brexit and economic nationalism take national control back.

Prelims Hooks

• Italy unified in 1861 (Rome added 1870). Germany unified in 1871. The Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires broke up in the early 20th century.
• Peace of Westphalia (1648): it ended the Thirty Years' War, was signed at Münster and Osnabrück, and recognised Dutch independence from Spain and Swiss independence from the Empire [4].
• Trap: the nation-state idea rose with the French Revolution (1789), not with Westphalia (1648).
• UN Charter: Art. 2(1) covers sovereign equality, Art. 2(4) bans the use of force and Art. 2(7) bars interference in domestic matters. Chapter VII enforcement is the exception [2][3].
• R2P: adopted at the 2005 World Summit, paras 138–139. It covers four crimes only: genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity [5].
• Atmanirbhar Bharat: launched on 12 May 2020 with a ₹20 lakh crore package (about 10% of GDP) and five pillars [6]. Brexit: referendum in 2016, exit on 31 January 2020.

Mains Points

• Nationalism is double-edged.
• It built states (Italy, Germany), ended empires (Austro-Hungarian, Russian) and freed colonies.
• It also drives separatism (Basques, Kurds, Sri Lankan Tamils) and wars.

• A good answer weighs both its uniting and its dividing roles.

• "One nation, one state" is unworkable.

• Most of the UN's 193 members, including India, the UK, Spain and Canada, are multinational.
• So stability comes from making room for diversity, not from forcing everyone to be the same.

• India's Constitution follows this path. It pairs the "unity and integrity of the Nation" (Preamble; Article 51A(c)) with a "Union of States" (Article 1).

• Sovereignty is under pressure from both sides.

• From above, EU pooled sovereignty and R2P (2005) weaken it [5].
• From within, Brexit (2016/2020), "America First" tariffs and Atmanirbhar Bharat (2020) assert it again [6].
• The Westphalian model (1648; UN Charter Art. 2) is being adapted, not replaced. Globalisation has not ended nationalism, and national feeling often grows stronger in crises such as COVID-19.

Related concepts

• Nation-state
• Westphalian sovereignty

Read more

• Nationalism and the nation-state