The Hindu Nationalist Movement in India [Paperback]

Christophe Jaffrelot (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1998

A detailed account of the Hindu nationalist movement in India since the 1920s arguing that political uneasiness, created by real and imagined threats of colonialism and the presence of minority groups, paved the way for militant Hinduism on the Indian subcontinent.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The most exhaustive book on Hindu nationalism.... A scholarly tour de force.

(New York Review of Books )

Review

This is the most systematic study I have seen on the topic of Hindu nationalism, a movement that has grown rapidly over the past decade and now poses a challenge to India's secular government.... For the expert on South Asia, this book is an absolute must.

(Walter Andersen, author of The Brotherhood in Saffron: A Study of Hindu Revivalism )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231103352
• ISBN-13: 978-0231103350
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,336,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Informational but biased, December 26, 2004

By 

Seth J. Frantzman (Jerusalem, Israel) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hindu Nationalist Movement in India (Paperback)

For the scant amount of literature on the Hindu Nationalist Movement(BJP and RSS) this book should have filled in many gaps, and in some ways it does but in its biased, elitist manner it misses the point. In condemning the destruction of the Babri Masjid this book doesn't seem to point to any of the reasons for it. Not once is one given the context of the rise of Hindu movements. No one is told that millions of Hindus were killed in Genocidal operations in Pakistan in 1948, ethnically cleansed from their ancient homes. Not once are we reminded of the 1000 years of British and Muslim imperial domination and colonialism of India.

Rather this book assumes the Hindu movements and their chauvinist nature came from no where and thus the author takes them to task and skewers them for their militancy. While this book seem to understand and commiserate with Muslim militancy, it never once excuses the same violence in communal riots from the other side, although the statistics are usually shown, giving evidence of the two sided nature of the rioting, where members of both communities are killed.

The tragedy of this book is that it is very detailed but overwhelmingly biased. Many times we hear that the Hindu movements are `elitist, brahmanical' without any correleatons to he reasons why. The book says the movements harked back to a fake `golden age' but doesn't think to describe the reasoning for this. Thus anyone interesting in the BJP and the like will be displeased here unless you are fanantically anti-hindu.

Seth J. Frantzman

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting exploration of nationalism in India, October 19, 2004

By 

JHF - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hindu Nationalist Movement in India (Hardcover)

This was part of required readings for one of my university courses on India. It provides a great deal of information for discussion for scholars and those interested in South Asia. The RSS, BJP, Jana Sangh, VHP, and Janata Party are all discussed, as well as key issues such as the temple/mosque contreversy in Ayodhya, and cow protection movement in Madhya Pradesh. Jaffrelot draws upon classic social science literature, including books by Peter van der Veer, Victor Turner, Paul Brass, and Benedict Anderson. In all, a good source for understanding some of the issues surrounding Hindu nationalism in India, but should be placed into a broader context (read some of the books by the authors listed above, for example) for complete understanding.

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor taste - Are you paid by a christian organization?, August 23, 2007

By 

Praseeta Mundayattu "Think Global" (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hindu Nationalist Movement in India (Paperback)

Yesterday, I saw God's warriors about christian organization and Islamic organizations on CNN by Christian Amanpour. Christian missionaries have converted pooor pooooor people in front of my eyes in India, there are cheap cheap humans who tell lies that show on stage that cancer is cured, blind gets eye, people who were handicapped could walk after the stage drama etc. If it is all legal, if BJP or RSS opposes and if its illegal, then what is illegal to you is legal to us, in India.

Shameless guy who wrote this should be part of the same network. Look at secret mix of religion and politics in legal system, in everything, in west and in middle eastern countries and then talk about India. No body is going to buy your piss poor taste book for 28$ for things that you write are in bad taste and also of things that new generation that do not even know or want to know. See how hinduism is reviving...