Violent Fraternity: Indian Political Thought in the Global Age

Violent Fraternity is a groundbreaking history of the political ideas that made modern India, showing how leading figures such as M. K. Gandhi, Muhammad Iqbal, B. R. Ambedkar, and Vinayak Savarkar were innovative political thinkers and influential political actors. It also examines lesser-known figures who contributed to the making of a new canon of political thought, such as B. G. Tilak and Sardar Patel. Kapila argues that India remade modern political languages through a revolution that defied fidelity to any exclusive ideology, creating both a sovereign India and the world's first avowedly Muslim nation, Pakistan.

Format: Hardback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 02 November 2021
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Violent Fraternity is a comprehensive and groundbreaking history of the political ideas that shaped modern India. Spanning from the early twentieth century to India's independence in 1947 and the formation of Pakistan, the book explores the profound influence of ideas on historical transformation. Author Shruti Kapila delves into the lives and thought of influential figures such as M. K. Gandhi, Muhammad Iqbal, B. R. Ambedkar, and Vinayak Savarkar, the founder of Hindutva. Kapila showcases their innovative political ideas and their significant roles as political actors. She also examines lesser-known figures who played crucial roles in shaping India's political landscape, including B. G. Tilak, revered by Lenin as the fountainhead of revolution in Asia, and Sardar Patel, India's first deputy prime minister.

Kapila argues that India was a unique laboratory where modern political languages were remade through a revolutionary process that defied adherence to any exclusive ideology. The book sheds light on how foundational political questions were addressed amidst the backdrop of imperialism, leading to the creation of both a sovereign India and the world's first avowedly Muslim nation, Pakistan. However, fraternity was lost and found again in the violence that marked the Indian age, signaling the emergence of intimate enmity.

Violent Fraternity is a compelling work of scholarship that demonstrates why India, with its vast scale and diversity, redefined the nature of political violence for the modern global era. The book offers valuable insights into the complex interplay of ideas, ideologies, and historical events that shaped the nation's development and its impact on the world. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the political history and dynamics of India.

Weight: 620g
Dimension: 242 x 163 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691195223