Hindutva

Hindutva, or "Hinduness", a term coined by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in 1923, is the predominant form of Hindu nationalism in India. The Bharatiya Janata Party adopted it as its official ideology in 1989. It is championed by the Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliate organisations, notably the Vishva Hindu Parishad, along with the older term Hindu Rashtra (translation: Hindu nation).

Historical background

The term Hindu, cognate with Sanskrit Sindhu, was used in Iran to refer to the lands of the Rigvedic rivers, the Punjab region, as well as the areas beyond. The equivalent Arabic term al-Hind gave rise to another notion of "Hindu" meaning "Indian" as an adjective as well as to name of the people of India. After the Arab invasion of Sindh, the term came to signify the people that followed Indian religions. By converting to Islam, these people were deemed to have stopped being "Hindus" and become Muslims. After the advent of Orientalism in the 19th century the term "Hinduism" (the Indian religion) was coined to refer to the ancient religion of India. A third meaning of "Hindu" was now derived as the followers of this particular religion Hinduism. All three meanings, viz., Indian, follower of Indian religions, and follower of Hinduism, play a role in the notion of Hindutva, meaning "Hinduness" coined in the early 20th century.

Hindutva: Who Is a Hindu?

Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? is an ideological pamphlet by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Originally published under the title Essentials Of Hindutva in 1923, it was retitled Hindutva: Who Is a Hindu? when reprinted in 1928. Savarkar's pamphlet forms part of the canon of works published during British rule that later influenced post-independence contemporary Hindu nationalism.

Themes

Savarkar used the term "Hindutva" (Sanskrit -tva, neuter abstract suffix) to describe "Hinduness" or the "quality of being a Hindu". Savarkar regarded Hinduism as an ethnic, cultural and political identity. Hindus, according to Savarkar, are those who consider India to be the land in which their ancestors lived, as well as the land in which their religion originated. He advocates the creation of a Hindu state in that sense.

Sarvakar includes all Indian religions in the term "Hinduism" and outlines his vision of a "Hindu Rashtra" (Hindu Nation) as "Akhand Bharat" (United India), stretching across the entire Indian subcontinent.