Introduction

This chapter opens the second half of the Class 11 Political Theory book by turning to one of the most powerful ideas in modern politics: nationalism. Nearly everyone has an intuitive sense of what nationalism means — patriotism, the national flag, willingness to sacrifice for one's country. The Republic Day parade in Delhi is one striking image of Indian nationalism, radiating a sense of power, strength and the sheer diversity that many people associate with the Indian nation. Yet a precise, widely accepted definition of "nationalism" is surprisingly hard to pin down. That difficulty is not a reason to set the question aside — nationalism plays too large a role in world affairs to be ignored. …