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Moral Nationalism: Tilak, Bankimchandra and Aurobindo Ghosh

At the close of 19th century, tired of negotiating with the British government, a militant nationalism came to the fore. The writings of Tilak, Chattopadhay and Aurobindo Ghosh ignited a new kind of nationalism often called Militant Nationalism. 

Bal Gangadhar Tilak's Gita Rahasya originally written in Marathi in 1915 was a pioneer work which asked for Nishkam Karmayoga (selfless action), rather than Karma Sanyasa (renouncing of actions). Tilak argued that one's salvation depended not merely on devotion and knowledge, but also on action.

Willingness to engage in righteous violence.

Another great work, similar to realist tradition emerged in the writings of Bankimchandra Chattopadhay in 1888. His book Dharmatattva depicted the western influence on Hindu philosophy in 19th century. This seminal text focuses on whether the patriotism or the willingness to fight for one's own country is essential for human race. The answer:

Just as dogs in the rural markets snatch morsels from one another, peoples whether they are civilized or not are despoiling one another's property. A strong people is always ready to fall upon the weaker ones. Hence there can be no self-protection without protecting one's own country. 

However, he doesn't mean a call for arms by his answer. He argued the European patriotism shouldn't be copied.  Because the truest form of patriotism lies in 'love for the entire world'. If ever two societies clashed, then the appropriate way to proceed, was to calculate which outcome would produce the the greatest benefit for all. 

The similar analogy can be made through the writings of Aurbindo Ghosh. Inspired by the Japanese victory over Russia in 1905, he wrote an essay titled "National Development and Foreign Rule". He argued that a nation 

must develop military and political greatness and activity, intellectual and aesthetic greatness and activity, commercial greatness and activity, moral sanity and vigor

for it 

can't sacrifice any of these functions of the organism without making itself unfit for the struggle for life and finally succumbing and perishing under the pressure of more highly organized nations. 

He also defended militant methods through his writings. In Morality of Boycott, he wrote citing Congress members as 'a certain class of minds shrink from aggressiveness as it were a sin. Their cry is to heal hate by love.' The political actions ought to be governed not by the Brahamnical duty of saintly sufferance, but by the morality of Kshatriya, as he argued. 

These arguments might sound dangerous but we must interpret in the context of British subjugation of Indian citizens. The India's ultimate mission to was point humanity toward "human liberty, equality and brotherhood". 



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