List of figures; Preface; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Rise of the flag; 2. Flag on the hut: totem and a political symbol; 3. The Indian national flag as a site of daily plebiscite; 4. Shades of history: a case of saffron colour; 5. Visualizing an ideal political order; 6. A post colonial symbol; 7. Gendered symbol, communal politics; Epilogue: the flag as a sacred political symbol; Bibliography; Index.
Studies the politics that make the tricolour flag possibly the most revered of the symbols and icons associated with nationalism in twentieth-century India.
Sadan Jha is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Social Studies, Gujarat. His research interests are the history of visuality, the history of symbols and icons, such as the spinning wheel and Bharat Mata, the history of colours, and the contemporary urban experiences of Surat.
'Sadan Jha's book is a pioneering and illuminating history of the
Indian national flag, the most important icon of the nation. Jha's
critical eye helps the reader see not only the contested nature of
this symbol but also some important - and usually neglected -
visual aspects of the Indian nationalist movement, thus widening
our understanding of the scope of the political in the South Asian
context. This book should interest all students of modern South
Asian history.' Dipesh Chakrabarty, University of Chicago
'A brilliant multidisciplinary analysis of the development of the
Indian national flag and the way in which it came to be seen,
appropriated and sacralised by different groups. A must-read for
anyone interested in the Indian nationalist movement.' Bhikhu
Parekh, University of Westminster
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