Course Title Political Thought in Modern India

Course Code POL04

Semester IV

Credits 3

Hours 45

Course Development Prepared by Dr. Kalpana Dixit

Rationale
Political thought in the 19th and 20th century India emerged in the context of colonialism and
the fundamental changes introduced by the colonial rule in economic, political, and social
structures and institutions. The response by the intellectuals and political leaders in India to
the forces of modernity was not homogeneous. It gave birth to various processes, such as
social and religious reform, revivalism, and a project of shaping a modern national culture to
counter the hegemony of British power. In the process, a rich and complex body of political
thought emerged which not only engaged with the western tradition of thought but also
developed a critique of modernity and epistemic hegemony of western paradigm. Indian
thinking was not limited to the concerns of and struggles in India, but touched upon universal
concerns of morality, freedom, and violence. The present paper is an attempt to introduce this
rich body of modern Indian political thought to students. It will enable them to understand
various streams of political thinking in India and the socio-historical context within which
they emerged. It will also help them to analyse the present-day political discourse in India.
Course Objectives:
1. To introduce modern Indian political thought to students.
2. To analyse socio-historical context in which political thinking evolved in the 19th and
20th century India.
3. To understand the emergence of various perspectives and worldviews in modern India
and how political principles and values guiding political action were shaped in a
particular context.

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Course Contents
Unit I: Engaging with the Modern (12 hours)
This unit focuses on the thought of four 19 th century thinkers, viz., Rammohan Roy, Jyotiba
Phule, and Pandita Ramabai Saraswati and their engagement with modernity. It analyses
the main ideas in the thought of these thinkers and how their engagement with modernity
gave rise to distinct social and political movements. It focuses on concepts of rights, social
reform, and radical transformation in the thought of these thinkers. It also focuses on the
process of identity formation after the interaction with British rule and how it reflected in
their thought.
Learning Objectives:
· To understand how interaction with modernity shaped the ideas of 19 th century
thinkers in India.
· To understand how concepts of rights, progress, social reform and radical
transformation were envisioned by Indian thinkers.
· To understand how the process of identity formation underwent a change as a result of
British policies and the response to them by Indian people.
Essential Readings:
➢ Ghose, Jogendra Chunder (ed.) (1901). The English Works of Raja Rammohan Roy,
Calcutta: S. Roy, Excerpts.
➢ Shan, Mohammad (1972). Writings and Speeches of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Bombay:
Nachiket Publications, Excerpts.
➢ Deshpande, G. P. (2012). Selected Writings of Jotirao Phule, New Delhi: Leftword
Books, Excerpts.
➢ Pandita Ramabai, (1901/2000). ‘Woman’s Place in Religion and Society’, in
Kosambi, Meera (ed.), Pandita Ramabai Through her Own Words: Selected Works,
New Delhi: Oxford University Press, Excerpts.
➢ Pantham, Thomas (1986). ‘The Socio-Religious and Political Thought of Rammohan
Roy’, in Pantham, and K. Deutsch (eds.), Political Thought in Modern India, New
Delhi: Sage Publications, pp. 32-52.
➢ Shakir, Moin (1973). Sir Syed: Secularization of Muslim Behaviour, The Minerva
Associates: Calcutta, Excerpts.
➢ Omvedt, Gail (1976). Cultural Revolt in a Colonial Society: The Non-Brahmin
Movement in Western India: 1837 to 1930, Bombay: Scientific Socialist Foundation
Trust, Excerpts.

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Additional Readings
➢ Kosambi, Meera (1988). ‘Women, Emancipation and Equality: Pandita Ramabai's
Contribution to Women's Cause’, in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 23, No. 44,
PP. 38-49
➢ C. Bayly (2010). ‘Rammohan and the Advent of Constitutional Liberalism in India
1800-1830’, in Shruti Kapila (ed.), An Intellectual History for India, New Delhi:
Cambridge University Press, pp. 18-34.
➢ V.C. Joshi (ed.) (1975). Rammohan Roy and the Process of Modernization in India,
Delhi: Vikas Publications.
➢ Bimanbehari Majumdar (1967). History of Indian Social and Political Ideas, Calcutta:
Bookland Pvt. Ltd, Excerpts.
➢ Vora, Rajendra (1986). ‘Two Strands of Indian Liberalism: The Ideas of Ranade and
Phule’, in T. Pantham and Kenneth Deutsch, (eds.), Political Thought in Modern
India, New Delhi: Sage Publications.
➢ Shakir, Moin (1970). Khilafat to Partition: A Survey of Major Political Trends
Among Indian Muslims During 1919-1947, New Delhi: Kalamkar Publications,
Excerpts.
➢ Shinde, J.R. (1985). Dynamics of Cultural Revolution: Nineteenth Century
Maharashtra, Delhi: Ajanta Publications Excerpts.
➢ Hasan, Mushirul and Nishat Zaidi, (ed.) (2011). Voyage To Modernism: Syed Ahmad
Khan, Delhi: Primus Books, Excerpts.

Unit 2: Imagining the Nation (12 hours)

This unit focuses on imagination of the idea of nation by thinkers representing different
streams of thought. It discusses pluralist, secular idea of nation by Jawaharlala Nehru and
M. K. Gandhi as well as religious nationalism by V. D. Savarkar and Mohammad Iqbal. It
also focuses on critique of nationalism by Rabindranath Tagore and his conversation with
Gandhi on the issue of nationalism. The unit discusses the bases of nationalism; the
relationship between religion and politics; and thoughts on democracy figured in the thinking
of these leading figures.
Learning Objectives:
· To understand the contestation over the concept of nation and nationalism in India
· To understand how the diverse interpretations of Indian tradition, history, and culture
gave rise to competing visions of Indian nation.
· To understand the critique of nationalism by Tagore.

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Essential Readings:
➢ Nehru, Jawaharlal (1946/1991). ‘Selected Works’, in S. Hay (ed.), Sources of Indian
Tradition, Vol. 2, Second Edition, New Delhi: Penguin, pp. 317-319.
➢ Iqbal, M. (1991). ‘Speeches and Statements’, in S. Hay (ed.), Sources of Indian
Tradition, Vol. 2, Second Edition, New Delhi: Penguin, Excerpts.
➢ Tagore, Rabindranath (1950). Nationalism, Macmillan, London.
➢ Sharma, Jyotirmaya. (2003). Hindutva: Exploring the Idea of Hindu Nationalism,
Delhi: Penguin, pp. 124-172.
➢ Parekh, Bhikhu (1998). Colonialism, Tradition and Reform: An Analysis of Gandhi’s
Political Discourse, Delhi: Sage Publications, Excerpts.
➢ Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi (compiled and edited) (1997). The Mahatma and the Poet:
Letters and Debates between Gandhi and Tagore 1915-1941, New Delhi: National
Book Trust, Excerpts.
➢ Hussain, Maulana and Ahmad Madani (2005). Composite Nationalism and Islam,
New Delhi: Manohar, pp. 66-91.
Additional Readings
➢ Brecher, Michael (1959). Nehru: A Political Biography, London: OUP, Excerpts.
➢ Nehru, Jawaharlal (1972). Discovery of India, Asian Publishing House, Bombay,
Excerpts.
➢ Golwalkar, M.S. (1939). We or Our Nationhood Defined, Jagaran Publication,
Bangalore.
➢ _____________, (1966). Bunch of Thoughts, Jagaran Prakashan, Bangalore.
➢ Engineer, Asghar Ali, (1980). ‘Iqbal’s “Reconstruction of Religious Thought in
Islam’’: A Critical Appraisal, in Social Scientist, Vol.8 (8), pp. 52-63.
➢ Chakravarty, R. (1986). ‘Tagore, Politics and Beyond’, in Thomas Pantham and K.
Deutsch (eds.), Political Thought in Modern India, New Delhi: Sage, pp. 177-191.
➢ Tagore, Rabindranath (1994). ‘The Nation’, S. Das (ed.), The English Writings of
Rabindranath Tagore, Vol. 3, New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, pp. 548-551.

Unit 3: Freedom, Equality, and Justice (12 hours)

This unit discusses political thought of B. R. Ambedkar, E. V. Ramasamy, M. N. Roy, and
Ram Manohar Lohia, who questioned the construct of Indian nationalism by highlighting
contradictions and power dynamics within Indian society. It focuses on various aspects of
freedom, equality and justice that political thinking addressed by raising the issues of
representation and redistribution. It discusses the debate on separate electorates between

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Gandhi and Ambedkar. It explains how the above-mentioned thinkers examined various
dominant narratives and offered an alternative vision of society.
Learning Objectives:
· To understand the interpretation of values of freedom, equality and justice from the
anti-caste perspective and the socialist perspective.
· To understand the envisioning of alternatives from the caste and the socialist
perspective.
Essential Readings:
➢ Ambedkar, B. R. (1946). What Congress and Gandhi have done to Untouchables?,
Bombay: Thacker and Company.
➢ Periyar, E.V.R. (1944/2019). ‘Towards the Complete Destruction of the Old Order’,
in Prabuddha: Journal of Social Equality, 4: pp. 1- 8.
➢ Roy, M. N. (1920/1971). ‘An Indian Communist Manifesto’, in G. Adhikary (ed.),
Documents of the History of the Communist Party of India, Vol. 1, Delhi: People’s
Publishing House.
➢ Lohia, Ram Manohar (1963). Marx, Gandhi and Socialism, Hydrabad: Navhind
Publications, Excerpts.
➢ Rodrigues, Valerine (2007). ‘Good society, Rights, Democracy and Socialism’, in S.
Thorat and Aryama (eds.), Ambedkar in Retrospect-Essays on Economics, Politics
and Society, Jaipur: IIDS and Rawat Publications.
➢ Mungekar, Bhalchandra (2007). ‘Quest for Democratic Socialism’, in S. Thorat, and
Aryana (eds.), Ambedkar in Retrospect-Essays on Economics, Politics and Society,
Jaipur: IIDS and Rawat Publications, pp. 121-142.
➢ Sinha, Sachchidanand. (2010). ‘Lohia’s Socialism: An Underdog’s Perspective’, in
Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. XLV (40) pp. 51-55.
➢ Kumar, Anand (2010). ‘Understanding Lohia’s Political Sociology: Intersectionality
of Caste, Class, Gender and Language Issue’, in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol.
XLV (40), pp. 64-70.
Additional Readings
➢ P. Chatterjee, (2005). ‘Ambedkar and the Troubled times of Citizenship’, in V. Mehta
and Thomas Pantham (eds.), Political Ideas in Modern India: Thematic Explorations,
New Delhi: Sage, pp. 73-92.
➢ Anees, M. and V. Dixit (eds.) (1984). Lohia: Many Faceted Personality,
Rammanohar Lohia Smarak Smriti, Excerpts.
➢ Roy, M. N. (1921/1971). India in Transition, Bombay: Nachiketa.

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 ➢ A. Kumar, (2010). ‘Understanding Lohia’s Political Sociology: Intersectionality of
Caste, Class, Gender and Language Issue’, in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol.
XLV (40), pp. 64-70.
➢ Nagaraj, D. R. (2011). The Flaming Feet and Other Essays: The Dalit Movement in
India, Seagull Books, Excerpts.
➢ Geeta, V. (2001). ‘Marx, Periyar and Freedom in Caste Society’, in Vikalpa, Vol. 9,
Issue 3, Mumbai: Vikas Adhayan Kendra.
➢ Veeramani, K. (compiled). Collected Works of Peiyar, E.V.R., Chennai: The Periyar
Self-Respect Propaganda Institution, Excerpts.

Unit 4: Swarajya, Sarvodaya, and Spirituality (9 hours)

This unit discusses M. K. Gandhi’s engagement with the discourse on state and democracy
and how he imagined Swarajya as a multi-layered, radical concept necessary for the
emancipation of people across the world. The unit also discusses political ideas of Sir
Aurobindo Ghosh linking nationalism to spiritual concerns.
Learning Objectives:
· To understand the critique of modernity and western democracy by M. K. Gandhi.
· To understand the concept of Swarajya and Sarvodaya proposed by M. K. Gandhi.
· To understand political ideas of Sir Aurobindo Ghosh.
Essential Readings:
➢ Gandhi M.K. (1946). Hind Swaraj or Home Rule, Ahmadabad: Navjivan Press.
➢ Gandhi, M. K. (1961). Democracy: Real and Deceptive, Ahmedabad: Navjivan Press.
➢ Gandhi, M. K. (1954). Sarvodaya, Ahmedabad: Navjivan Press.
➢ Deutsch, Kenneth L. (1986). ‘Sir Aurobindo and the Search for Political and Spiritual
Perfection’, in Pantham, and K. Deutsch (eds.), Political Thought in Modern India,
New Delhi: Sage Publications, pp. 192-208.
Additional Readings
➢ Parekh, Bhikhu. (1986). Gandhi's Political Philosophy: A Critical Examination,
Ajanta Publication, Delhi, Excerpts.
➢ Nandy, Ashish (1983). Intimate Enemy: Loss and Recovery of Self under Colonialism,
Oxford University Press, Delhi, Excerpts.
➢ M. Gandhi, (1991). ‘Satyagraha: Transforming Unjust Relationships through the
Power of the Soul’, in S. Hay (ed.), Sources of Indian Tradition, Vol.2. Second
Edition, New Delhi: Penguin, pp. 265-270.

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➢ D. Dalton, (1982). Indian Idea of Freedom: Political Thought of Swami Vivekananda,
Aurobindo Ghose, Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore, Gurgaon: The
Academic Press, Excerpts.
➢ Southard, Barbara (1980). ‘The Political Strategy of Aurobindo Ghosh: The
Utilization of Hindu Religious Symbolism and the Problem of Political Mobilization
in Bengal’ in Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 353-376.