IDENTITY AND NATIONHOOD: PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON MUSLIM NATIONALISM IN SOUTH ASIA

Abstract

This research deals with the psychological factors which played a crucial role in strengthening Muslim Nationalism in Sub-continent. After coming under British rule, economic disparities, lack of political representation, fear of losing religious and cultural identity, cognitive profiles of educated broad minded Muslim leaders like Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and observational patterns of global change like end of Ottoman Empire and Russian revolution had great impact on Muslims. They tried to eradicate negative sentiments from their hearts to rebuild their selves in order to regain their lost identity back beneath the flag of Muslim nationalism. This research seeks how historical and socio-cultural circumstances formulated the psychological basis of Muslim Nationalism in Sub-continent. The research is currently significant as the knowledge about the psychological dynamics of any social movement or concept helps in determining the complex human behavior behind any big historical change. It assists in determining the reasons behind power-shift in any society and can also help in correlating past events with the present, in order to predict future for the convenience of policy makers. This study is equally beneficial for researchers of social sciences, psychology as well as historians and political scientists.