The Illegitimacy of Nationalism: Rabindranath Tagore and the Politics of Self

Introduction

Published in 1994, the book examines Rabindranath Tagore’s critique of nationalism, together with his novels Gora, Ghare Baire and Char Adhyay and with the lives of contemporaries. Nandy argues that Tagore distinguished between patriotism and nationalism and rejected the Western nation-state as a model for India, while remaining an opponent of colonialism. The book is part of Nandy’s wider critique of the nation-state and of secular nationalism.

Connections

Builds on

• Nationalism1917 · Rabindranath Tagore

More works by Ashis Nandy

• 1983The Intimate Enemy: Loss and Recovery of Self under Colonialism