Rethinking Knowledge With Action
V. D. Savarkar, the Bhagavad Gita, and Histories of Warfare
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12740784 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Vinayak Chaturvedi (University of California, Irvine, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2010 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 417-435 |
| Publication date | 2010-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Modern Intellectual History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1479-2443 • E-ISSN: 1479-2451 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1479244310000144 |
| OpenAlex | W2147320578 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 14 |
| References cited | 10 |
This essay examines the significance of the Bhagavad Gita for V. D. Savarkar's interpretations of religion, nationalism, and the idea of Hindu India. As one of the intellectual founders of Hindu nationalism, Savarkar has emerged as the most controversial Indian political thinker of the last century, gaining notoriety for his program to ‘Hinduize Politics and Militarize Hindudom’, for his anti-Muslim and anti-Christian politics, and for his advocacy of violence in everyday life. By bringing together key selections from Savarkar's seminal historical writings, the essay also traces how Savarkar developed the concept of ethical warfare from the Gita for his political purposes of contesting colonial power and creating a Hindu nation. It also shows that Savarkar adopted history writing as his main literary form for his engagement with the Gita and its principles, thereby departing from the existing hermeneutical traditions of studying the Gita. For Savarkar, the creation of historical knowledge that embodied key ideas from the Gita was necessary for transforming the individual and the nation. He claimed that it ultimately motivated individuals to adopt violence for the creation of Hindu India
Action (physics · Colonialism · Embodied cognition · Environmental ethics · Epistemology · Hinduism · Key (lock · Nationalism · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Sociology · Gender Studies · Indian and Buddhist Studies · Indian History and Philosophy · Law · Philosophy · Religion and Society Interactions · Religious studies
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| Unique citing works | 14 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,27 |
| Citation span | 2015 - 2025 (11) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 14 |