Fascism in India

This powerful book persuasively argues that Hindutva, the virulent form of Hindu nationalism embraced by India’s current leaders, is a fascist ideology. But Sabastian, a historian, shows that Hindutva is not a mere imitation of European fascism but an indigenous strain, shaped by local history and politics. – Pratap Bhanu Mehta * Foreign Affairs *
Sabastian’s distinctive contribution lies in arguing that historically anti-colonial nationalist Indians developed their own theory of fascism…this enriching book challenges a container view of fascist ideas while expanding their roots. – Nitasha Kaul * Perspectives on Politics *
From start to finish, Sabastian masterfully combines the historian’s attentiveness to detail and nuance, with the political philosopher’s capacity for analytical sharpness and distinction, and the fiction writer’s flair for narrative momentum – flavoured with a suitable dose of dry wit…[this] book is an unputdownable treasure-trove of insights that sheds important light on the past and present history of fascism in India. – Kenneth Bo Nielsen * Journal of Asian and African Studies *
Supported by meticulous research of the relevant texts, especially in Germany and India, and buttressed by her interpretation of pivotal political moments in modern India, Sabastian has produced an impressive piece of scholarship…this book should be very widely read and hopefully will be—both by the scholars of fascism and the scholars of Indian/South Asian politics. – Ashutosh Varney * Perspectives on Politics *
An astute intellectual history of Hindutva…a distinguishing characteristic of Indian fascism, Sabastian cannily argues, is its ability to annihilate the ‘other’ not through exclusion but through forced absorption…The result is a sharp look at how Hindutva aims to achieve its totalizing objectives. * Publishers Weekly *
Rejecting the usual tendency to examine fascism in India in terms of its differences from the ‘original’ European version, Sabastian demonstrates that it was homegrown and yet fully engaged in interpreting the various imperialist, nationalist, socialist, and fascist currents of thought that shaped world politics in the twentieth century. Impressively researched and incisively argued, this remarkably intelligent book is a must-read for all students of global political thought. – Dipesh Chakrabarty, author of Provincializing Europe
This unusually well argued and deeply researched book is by far the most comprehensive, lucid, and ambitious discussion of how a range of twentieth-century Indian scholars, public intellectuals, and political thinkers developed fascist ideas. Luna Sabastian richly situates and contextualizes within Indian intellectual history as well as global academic and intellectual trends the many figures and works under discussion, which were extremely significant in their time but have since been largely forgotten or overshadowed by others. She manages to demonstrate, convincingly and refreshingly, that ‘Indian fascism’ is a distinct and discernible political-intellectual tradition. – Thomas Blom Hansen, author of The Saffron Wave
Exceedingly few scholars have written about Savarkar and other Hindutva thinkers without glorifying or vilifying them. Luna Sabastian has done not just that but offered the key to understanding their philosophy and politics. This is a critical masterpiece. – Mithu Sanyal, author of Identitti
An exceptional study of Indian debates about and identifications with fascism in colonial times, as well as their resonances today. This is as much a work of Indian as of global intellectual history. – Faisal Devji, author of Muslim Zion

Luna Sabastian is Assistant Professor in History at Northeastern University London.

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