ABSTRACT
Although certain aspects of Ernest Gellner's Nations and Nationalism, originally published in 1983, may seem dated, the book remains a seminal text in the field of nationalism studies. It is essential reading for contemporary scholars approaching the question of nationalism. Gellner's fundamental insight and distinct contribution to the discipline remains the connection he made between industrialization and nationalism. Even scholars working on different topics have used Gellner's understanding of nationalism. The State of the Nation: Ernest Gellner and the Theory of Nationalism, edited by John A. Hall and published in 1998, raises criticisms of Gellner's work, but it also attempts to revise and update it for the contemporary context. According to Chatterjee, Gellner's version of nationalism produces a "modular" notion of history, a model that is simply exported to transform other parts of the globe. In reducing history to this modular form, the agency, attitudes, and activities of local populations matter little.
