Nations and Nationalism Lecture Review

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on Nations and Nationalism, including definitions of nation, identity, historical context, and the benefits and problems associated with nationalism.

Nation

A self-identified cultural group that regards itself as distinctive in some significant fundamental way, with (or desiring) political independence.

National Identity

An aspect of one’s identity that derives from one’s membership in a nation.

Nationality

An aspect of one’s identity that derives from one’s membership in a nation; it is about identity.

Citizenship

A legal relationship with the state, distinct from nationality.

Socially Constructed Nations

The idea that national identities are not natural but rather 'imagined communities' created through shared stories, cultural practices, and teaching people they are part of a nation.

British Census in India

A system established by the British that formalized and simplified religion and caste categories, making them rigid and legally attached to rights, influencing identity.

Separated Electorates

A system implemented by the British in India that created a strong connection between political identity and religious identity by separating Hindu and Muslim voting groups.

Indian National Congress (INC)

Formed in 1885 to advocate for political rights for Indians, later expanding its goals to independence.

Gandhi and INC Movement

A cross-national and cross-caste non-violent movement in the 1920s focused on civil disobedience and boycotts to achieve Indian independence.

Indian Independence Act of 1947

The act that created modern India and Pakistan, granting independence from British rule.

India Partition

The division of British India into two separate countries, India and Pakistan, along religious lines in 1947, leading to widespread communal violence and displacement.

Communal Violence (India Partition)

Widespread violence that broke out during the 1947 India Partition, forcing mass migrations and resulting in millions of casualties and atrocities.

Kashmir War

A subsequent conflict that continues after the India Partition, related to the disputed territory of Kashmir.

Multinational States

States, like the UK, that contain multiple national identities, which can challenge a unified national identity project.

Diasporas

Populations of a nation or ethnic group that have migrated or been dispersed from their traditional homeland.

Patriotism

Love of, and allegiance to, one’s state.

Nationalism

Love of, and allegiance to, one’s nation, along with a desire for that nation to rule itself separately from other nations.

Irredentist Movements

Movements that advocate for the acquisition of (or a desire to acquire) territory historically or ethnically related to one's own nation but now subject to foreign control, often leading to conflict.

Secessionist Movements

Movements that advocate for the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, which can lead to conflict.

Ethnic Cleansing

A strategy involving the removal of 'others' from a territory, often through violence, expulsion, or other extreme measures.