ABSTRACT
The sense of national identity is founded predominantly on the basis of shared language and unique historical traditions. While language was perceived by nation builders as uniting a country, more recently it has also been perceived as an instrument of dominance and hegemony. Man’s distinguishing characteristic, his ‘religious sense’, was also drawn to ‘new religions’ like communism and nationalism. Culture has also frequently become the locus of resistance, often in the form of regional identities that are posited against a ‘western market culture’ today. Cultural nationalism is a dynamic concept, contributing to the ‘fluidity’ of nationalities. Language is not merely an intellectual construct with ideological underpinnings, but an attempt to express the experience of a people within a particular geographical location. The policy of homogenisation was actively implemented through a new-found uniform schooling system. Cultural nationalism was particularly powerful in countries under foreign rule.
