ABSTRACT
The relationship between Hinduism and politics is a complex issue and has gone through several important stages. These could be described as developments during the pre-colonial period, the colonial period and the post-independence period. There is a long history in India, that is the Indian subcontinent, of the development of the relationship between the state and religious communities. The relationship between religion and politics in India is founded on an Indic model in which state patronage of religion ensured that the state would be protected by that religion, and patronage of multiple religions meant each religion added in their own way to the security of the state. It is remarkable how much Indian politics has changed since 1990 and the degree to which Hinduism has come to the fore as a force in Indian politics.
