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A review by pavanayi
Nations and Nationalism since 1780: Programme, Myth, Reality by Eric Hobsbawm
5.0
Hobsbawm in this book argues against Gellner and Anderson's proposition that nationalism is a concept that is deeply rooted in the minds of people. The first chapter talks about how the concept of Nation is not even older than 240 years and in the subsequent chapters looks at the changing nature of nationalism and nation-states starting from the French revolution, the Mazinnian phase (1830-1870) based on the threshold principle, followed by the 'Wilsonian' phase (1870-1918) based on the self-determination principle, and the postcolonial formation of nation-states in the middle of the 20th century based on anti-imperialism.
Hobsbawm's analysis of the formation of new nations in the Third World is also interesting. He argues that the colonial frontiers along with the administered units (ethnolinguistic territorial units in the case of USSR) put in place by the imperial powers paradoxically led to the imagination of the multi-ethnic and multi-lingual population inside these units to imagine a new nation occupying this territory. This is applicable to the 'nation' of India as well as to the imagination of new nations that resulted in the formation of new 'imagined' nations (Kazhak, Kirghiz, Uzbek etc.) after the split of USSR.
In the last chapter, Hobsbawm looks at the phenomenon of nation and nationalism. While stating that the 'national economy' no more holds water, the nation-state still in the age of globalized economy retains a central position amongst it population, but in a different role, that of the redistributor of social income. Further, he also looks at the role of 21st century technology that has been accelerating the movement of people (migration), ideas and money, thereby making the role of inter-governmental, non-governmental agencies and economic regions more significant and how the phenomenon of nationalism might have crossed its peak.
Overall, an interesting analysis on a phenomenon that is new to humans but has impacted the lives of humans never before seen in our history.
Hobsbawm's analysis of the formation of new nations in the Third World is also interesting. He argues that the colonial frontiers along with the administered units (ethnolinguistic territorial units in the case of USSR) put in place by the imperial powers paradoxically led to the imagination of the multi-ethnic and multi-lingual population inside these units to imagine a new nation occupying this territory. This is applicable to the 'nation' of India as well as to the imagination of new nations that resulted in the formation of new 'imagined' nations (Kazhak, Kirghiz, Uzbek etc.) after the split of USSR.
In the last chapter, Hobsbawm looks at the phenomenon of nation and nationalism. While stating that the 'national economy' no more holds water, the nation-state still in the age of globalized economy retains a central position amongst it population, but in a different role, that of the redistributor of social income. Further, he also looks at the role of 21st century technology that has been accelerating the movement of people (migration), ideas and money, thereby making the role of inter-governmental, non-governmental agencies and economic regions more significant and how the phenomenon of nationalism might have crossed its peak.
Overall, an interesting analysis on a phenomenon that is new to humans but has impacted the lives of humans never before seen in our history.