India's Nationalism in Historical Perspective: The Democratic Dangers of Ascendant Nativism

Does nationalist sentiment support or stymie democracy? And through what mechanisms? As comparative scholars have done little to answer this question, this article draws upon evidence from the Modi government to suggest that the relationship between degree of nationalism and democracy hinges upon a country’s dominant type of nationalism. To evidence this theoretical claim, the article develops two empirical arguments: first, that a historically inclusive founding Indian nationalism has been harnessed to protect democratic institutions during political crises and second, that a newly ascendant and exclusive Indian nationalism is legitimating the sidelining of minorities. In doing so, India is embarking upon a path by which established democracies break down.