11-18-2006, 01:24 AM
Ok, Let me clarify one thing. I was not talking about "developing nations" in the classical, economic sense but nations where "nation building" is going on.
Wherever it already happened (Nation building that is and specifically in Europe), Nationalism, for the good part, brought about unifications often with violence and wars etc (Example: Divisions of the European nations -reunification of Italy and Germany and to the breakup of Austria-Hungary).
They were not "developed" in the economic/classical sense, nor was "Democracy and Human rights" was their goal. They all came later. So is this event the onset of modern history?
Nation building is not about building nations, but it is about common sense of identity. It does not guarantee a "state". The identity was forged by imposing language, culture etc. There are different ways to go about building a nation, nationalism being one of them.
Here is the quick segue into history, revisionism and perception of identity etc. when did "modern" history begin. So, the thought process went.
Anyways, I believe poor choice of a phrase (on my part) led you on the economic sense of "development" (??) but I was thinking in terms of society & nation formation in India, how do we then define such a period in our history when all the history that we know of, comes out of revisionism [France's ancestors were Gauls only after their History books said so, before that it was not in french consciousness, but Indians have no such issues but we are being told otherwise;-)].
More later on, if I get some time and energy...
Wherever it already happened (Nation building that is and specifically in Europe), Nationalism, for the good part, brought about unifications often with violence and wars etc (Example: Divisions of the European nations -reunification of Italy and Germany and to the breakup of Austria-Hungary).
They were not "developed" in the economic/classical sense, nor was "Democracy and Human rights" was their goal. They all came later. So is this event the onset of modern history?
Nation building is not about building nations, but it is about common sense of identity. It does not guarantee a "state". The identity was forged by imposing language, culture etc. There are different ways to go about building a nation, nationalism being one of them.
Here is the quick segue into history, revisionism and perception of identity etc. when did "modern" history begin. So, the thought process went.
Anyways, I believe poor choice of a phrase (on my part) led you on the economic sense of "development" (??) but I was thinking in terms of society & nation formation in India, how do we then define such a period in our history when all the history that we know of, comes out of revisionism [France's ancestors were Gauls only after their History books said so, before that it was not in french consciousness, but Indians have no such issues but we are being told otherwise;-)].
More later on, if I get some time and energy...