Examine the linkages between 19th centuries ‘Indian renaissance’ and emergence of national identity
When the British came to India, they brought new ideas such as liberty, equality, freedom, and human rights from the Renaissance, the Reformation Movement, and the various revolutions that took place in Europe.
These ideas appealed to some sections of our society and led to several reform movements in different parts of the country. At the forefront of these movements were visionary Indians such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, and Pandita Ramabai. These movements looked for social unity and strived for liberty, equality, and fraternity.
It is a historical fact that Indian nationalism was the consequence of an awakening that was marked by momentous changes embracing various spheres of national life. It was a broad movement of regeneration affecting almost all spheres of life such as political, religious, economic, social, educational, etc., and is popularly called the “Indian Renaissance” or the “Indian Resurgence”. For India, the making of national identity was a long process whose roots can be drawn from the ancient era. But, it was only in the 19th Century that the concept of national identity and national consciousness emerged.