ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to demonstrate the prevalence of both blood kinship and metaphorical kinship in India’s political life. The chapter starts with a series of examples of common occurrences of kinship-based terminology used in Indian political life, before turning to the importance of blood kinship in Indian politics. Further, it reflects on how these kin-based practices have not only shaped social relations in Indian politics, but even institutional choices. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how kinship-based language and loyalties also affect India’s relationship to other states and to the international community.
