ABSTRACT
We argue that there is a correlation between the emergence of Islamic militancy in India and the rise of the East India Company. After the fall of the Mughal Empire, the conservative factions within the Muslim community claimed that the Muslims had been dethroned because they were no longer pious.
Similarly, the emergence of Hindu nationalism can be linked to the British government’s balance and rule policy. The Punjab Alienation of Land act of 1901 and the 1906 proposal for creating separate electorates for the Muslims angered the Hindus. Reacting to these two events, the Hindu elite of Punjab began forming Hindu Sabhas or Hindu organizations under Arya Samaj’s leadership. Until the events of 1901 and 1906, the Arya Samajis identified themselves as the followers of the Vedas. Following the events of 1901 and 1906, the Arya Samajis began calling themselves Hindus and joined forces with the other Hindus. The connection between the rise of the East India Company and the subsequent emergence of Hindu and Muslim militancy helps us examine the cultural changes occurring in Kurundwad.
