Hindu nationalism is a nationalist ideology that sees the modern state of the Republic of India as a Hindu
polity <1> ("
Hindu Rashtra"), and seeks to preserve the Hindu heritage. Although the concept of "Hindu Rashtra" has been used in slogans and pamphlets of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the main group that promotes this ideology, it has not been clearly and unambiguously defined in any of their literature. The notion of "Hindu principles" (
Hindutva) promoted by this group is intended to be inclusive of the multiple indigenous traditions of India, including Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Hindu
nationalism has played a crucial role in the recent history of India and that of Hinduism.
Historical instances
It is unclear as to when Hindu nationalism began. Some propagate that, like in every culture, it was constantly present, in its various forms, over the 5000 year known history of Hinduism. Conflicts which sometimes occurred between Hindus and Buddhists in the period after the fall of Ashoka have mostly been omitted from historical descriptions of Hindu nationalism, mainly because the modern Hindutva movement considers Buddhists to be within the fold of Hinduism. However, it can be suggested that the minor conflicts between Hindus and Buddhists were based on power and religion but conflicts also existed with Buddhists and Jains therefore, whether this can be considered nationalism is unknown.
Hindu nationalism continued to sprout up through history when foreign invaders were present. This was particularly true of the Islamic invasions in the 8th century AD. The large number of Hindus who fought wars against the Muslims were mainly fighting for a nationalist cause to maintain their religion and their states. The concept of Kshatriya, who were intended to protect the dharma, is in itself Hindu nationalism, as it suggests that the Hindu people and Hindu religion may need protection from outside influences.
Hindu reform movements
Main article: Hindu reform movements
Swami Vivekananda
Various Hindu reform movements, led by Dayananda Saraswati, Swami Vivekananda and others, originated as a reaction to what was perceived as offensive propaganda of Christian missionaries, a Westernization of many educated Hindus, forcible conversion to Islam and Christianity..
The Arya Samaj was founded by Dayananda Saraswati in the later 19th century to revive Hindu society, which was entrenched deeply in the social schisms of untouchability, sati, as well as poverty, xenophobia and illiteracy. The Samaj prescribed a return to the Vedas; they were monotheistic in their approach to God. Another 19th century revivalist was Swami Vivekananda, a follower of Ramakrishna Paramahansa. The Ramakrishna Mission he founded has grown into one of India''''s most important charities and community organizations.
Source: wikipedia