India and the Nation-State Model

The nation-state is a political model that combines two distinct principles: the principle of state sovereignty, which was first articulated in the Peace of Westphalia (1648) and which recognises the right of states to govern their territories without interference from outside forces and the principle of national sovereignty, which recognises the right of national communities to govern themselves.The principle of state sovereignty was first articulated in 1648, and it recognised the right of states to govern their territories without interference from outside forces. The moral and intellectual premise of popular sovereignty, according to which states are the property of their respective peoples, serves as the foundation for the concept of national sovereignty. The latter concept suggests that legitimate rule of a state necessitates some form of consent by the people who live in that state. Despite this precondition, it is not the case that all nation-states practise democratic government.In point of fact, a great number of autocratic rulers have portrayed themselves as ruling in the name of a sovereign nation,both to the international community of nations and to the people living under their authority within their own countries.The establishment of the English Commonwealth in 1649 is regarded by some academics as the earliest instance of nation-state formation.This is despite the fact that France in the years following the French Revolution (1787–99) is frequently credited as being the first nation-state. Since the late 18th century, the nation-state has gradually become the preeminent vehicle of control over geographic areas,eventually replacing polities that were ruled by different grounds of legitimacy. This shift occurred during the course of the modern era.

Markers of civilisation

The level of human social evolution and organisation that is believed to be the most sophisticated is referred to as the “civilization” stage. Civilization is also defined as a complex culture that possesses five qualities. These five distinguishing features are highly developed cities, highly skilled labourers, intricate institutions, meticulous record keeping, and cutting-edge technology.Craftspeople who do their job by hand are often referred to as artisans.This might be anything from clothing to pottery. 

Craftsmen played a significant part in the development of early civilization because the variety of goods they produced allowed cities to flourish as commercial hubs.

Due to the concentration of a large number of people in one region brought about by the spread of civilization, complex institutions emerged spontaneously. There needed to be methods for maintaining order in the cities. The growing number of people living in urban areas necessitated the establishment of some kind of governing structure or authority.

It was eventually necessary for there to be leaders of civilizations so that they could formulate and enforce rules.Cave paintings are evidence that people had religious ideas prior to the development of civilization. However, during the early stages of human civilisation, religion developed into an organised institution. The gathering of vast numbers of people brought about significant changes in the way people lived their lives, 

from the establishment of rules to the development of religion.

Governmentality

Michel Foucault, a French philosopher, is credited with being the first person to conceive the idea of governmentality during the later years of his life, namely between the years 1977 and 1984, when he was giving lectures at the Collège de France. Foucault passed away in 1984. The concepts of governability include the following: 

the systematic procedures (mentalities, rationales, and tactics) that subjects are governed through.

The concept of governmentality can also be interpreted as:

• The science and practise of governance

Controlling strategies and methods (that is, the calculated means of directing how we behave and act)

• The reasonableness of government

A ‘guideline’ for the analysis that Michel Foucault provides by way of historical reconstructions encompassing a period commencing from Ancient Greece all the way to modernity and neoliberalism”

• The methods and procedures by which a society is made susceptible to governmental control

The reasoned way of governing best and, at the same time, reflection on the best possible way to rule,which can be translated as “the greatest possible way to govern.

The concept of “governmentality” can be applied to a wide range of historical eras as well as numerous distinct power structures. 

On the other hand, it is frequently employed (by other academics as well as by Foucault himself) in reference to “neoliberal governmentality,”

which refers to a form of governmentality that is characteristic of modern liberal democracies.

In this context, the concept of governmentality refers to societies in which authority is decentralised and its members actively participate in the governance of themselves and their communities, such as in the neoliberal theory that is being discussed.

India from a Non-Western Gaze  

In spite of the fact that Western musicians have recently been interested in Indian settings,

 the truth remains that these performances simply serve to alter the colonial gaze, 

which has, for millennia, defined who is the subject and who is the object of attention.

It was nothing like seeing Indian girls dancing in saris, palaces draped in silk curtains, and hand-painted buses becoming the stages for wonky dances in the song’s accompanying video-clip, so at first I was thrilled when a catchy song such as “Lean on” by Major Lazer and DJ Snake became a hit during the summer of 2017.

However, as time went on, my excitement began to wane. (And I still play the song on a loop and dance to it in all of my joyful clumsiness everytime it comes up at a party!) 

Conclusion

In India, the concept of nationalism is a contentious point of debate. Not only does it appear that there is a secular nationalism, but it also appears that there is a Hindu nationalism. When the central political principle of Hindu philosophy, the global dharma, transcends nations as geographical categories, this merely seems like a forced match.There have been periodic periods of high political tension in India between its highly centralised post-colonial state and an even stronger society, each of which has its own epistemic understanding.These periods of high political tension have occurred at irregular intervals.

 During this time period, there has not been a great deal of serious research done to determine how Native Americans structured themselves politically prior to the arrival of European colonists.

 The India of the past operated under an entirely different form of government. 

It is possible that a better understanding of the political structure of the people of India before the adoption of the model of the nation-state could provide additional insights as to how Indians interacted with one another during that relatively peaceful age.