Ethnicity and Nationalism

This volume contends that ethnicity and nationalism are not 'givens', but are social and political constructions and that they are modern phenomena inseparably connected with the activities of the modern centralizing state.

Examples and case studies from India comprise the heart of the volume. Three chapters focus specifically on two minority groups in India: north Indian Muslims and the Sikhs of Punjab. A second source of illustrations, which substantiate the theoretical arguments, is Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The author also presents a direct comparison of language-based ethnic problems in India and the Soviet Union.