comp politics: India

Principalities

there were 500+ when India gained independence, sovereign monarchies under indirect British rule- made it easy for them to conquer one at a time and consolidate authority.

Mughal Rule (1526-1857)

establishing an era of centralized government, cultural strength (monuments, cuisine, etc.) economy driven by trade networks, Taj Mahal, paintings.

East India Company

British went to India and imported spices, would get licenses, agreements, and deals with local leaders— would recruit locals, and became a status job, grew as companies grew. Indian soldiers in the company who were sent to fight in Opium wars.

India Revolt (1857)

soldiers rise up against the British authorities due to ill treatment, violence committed against british officers and families. East India Company brings their forces together to put down the rebellion, but it also seizes to be.

Government of India Act (1858)

Queen Victoria is the ultimate ruler, since East India Company is gone, India and other colonies are run in her name.

Census

meant to understand the Indian people, continued to do it till 2011. It takes polls on people, and showed that 25% of India’s population is Muslim

Divide and Rule

British said they have this, meant to commit one community against the other. Systematically fueled religious, caste, and regional divides. Favor the weaker community so they don’t challenge you (ex. Muslims)

India Independence Movement

under Gandhi, peaceful movement when he was involved. Want British out, but they will leave as friends. Leaves to independence. Century long struggle.

Two Nation Theory

Argues that Hindu and Muslims are two separate and different nations, Muslims are monotheistic, and hindus are polycystic. Amplifies their differences, and minimizes their similarities. Leads to the creation of Pakistan. Muslims wanted two nations moe.

Partition

the division of what is the Indian subcontinent, stemming from the Hindu muslim violence.

Islam in South Asia

spread very fast, fundamentals in Muslim, not in Hindu. The Shia-Sunni divide was a debate on who would be the prophet after Muhammed. Shia argued that he needed to be connected by blood, while Sunnis thought it should be the most experienced.

• majority total are Sunni.

Wahabism

extreme religious beliefs associated with Sunnis, stricted form of Islam.

Elections in India

conducted by Election Commission, make it very easy to vote. Can’t live more than a miles walk from a poll. Largest democracy in the world with almost a million voters.

Bulldozers

used to target muslims under the disguise of governance. Demolished properties of individuals accused of criminal activity against the government. Glorified them as heroes of the Hindu identity.

Secularism

separation of church and sate, what the Indian founding fathers wanted.

Congress Party

responsible for gaining India’s independence, Gandhi’s party, ruled for a long time until the BJP.

BJP

argues hindu majoritarianism, islamaphobic, right wing. Responsible for Babri Majid (tearing down the mosque).Follows Hindutva, which is Hindu Nationalism.

Hindutva

ideology that claims Hindu is all in India, it’s a Hindu country, and the others that live there should not do anything to undermine it. Other religions are tolerated, but can’t undermine. Goes against India’s democracy and secularism.

Love Jihad

conspiracy among muslim men to seduce Hindu women and use them as baby machines to increase Muslim population.

Modi

member of RSS (right wing hindu group, have been banned 3x in India). Prime Minister, very popular. BJP is the political arm as the RSS.

Features of India government

no term limits for prime minister, president is head of state. Parliamentary governance with a federal structure.

Lack of Uniform Civil Code

muslims and hindus operate under different laws, RSS wants to create a uniform code.

Bonding vs. Bridging Social Capital

• Bonding a group, religious lines, social lines, etc. SEEN IN ENTITIES CONNECTED TO RSS

• Bridging allows for more understanding and tolerance, people coming together from different backgrounds

Jawaharlal Nehru

father was the president of the congress party, became the first prime minister of India when they got independence. Built institutions, didn’t want corruption.

• promoted Secularism

Indirra Gandhi

Nehru’s daughter, an authoritarian dictator—wanted loyalty and total corruption.

Democracy Paradox

a country that is very good at running elections, but the actual government is very weak— corruption, violence.

Quasi Federal

Strong center amidst federalism

NOT A SUPRA-STATE (ex. EU, WTO)

Somewhat federal, but the center has power

Article 356

In the constitution, referred to as presidents rule. India’s president is NOT elected by the people, president is head of state but PM has major rule. Allows the PM to sack a state government (Indirra did this many times).

How Hindu Nationalism is similar to Jim Crow

• The aim of Jim Crow was to make blacks into second class citizens. Hindu nationalists seek to diminish the constitutionally guaranteed equal rights and turn muslim into less than fully equal. 

• White supremacy and hindu supremacy 

• Exclusionary laws, segregation, violence 

• Elections being used for anti-mulsim laws. Similar in American South after reconstruction 

• Don’t seek physical elimination of Muslims

• Exclusion and hierarchy notions of honor 

• What race was to Jim Crow, religion was to Hindu nationalism

Summary sentence of how Hindu nationalism is similar to Jim Crow

• Electorally legitimated majoritarianism can be used to create laws and practices that seek to deprive a disfavorited group of its rights, subject it to violence, and reduce it to second class citizenship.