Empire Nationalism and the Postcolonial World

By presenting a new interpretation of Rabindranath Tagoreâs English language writings this book places the work of Indiaâs greatest Nobel Prize winner and cultural icon in the context of imperial history and thereby bridges the gap between Tagore studies and imperial/postcolonial historiography. Using detailed archival research the book charts the origins of Tagoreâs ideas in Indian religious traditions and discusses the impact of early Indian nationalism on Tagoreâs thinking. It offers a new interpretation of Tagoreâs complex debates with Gandhi about the colonial encounter Tagoreâs provocative analysis of the impact of British imperialism in India and his questioning of nationalism as a pathway to authentic postcolonial freedom. The book also demonstrates how the man and his ideas were received and interpreted in Britain during his lifetime and how they have been sometimes misrepresented by nationalist historians and postcolonial theorists after Tagoreâs death. An alternative interpretation based on an intellectual history approach this book places Tagoreâs sense of agency his ideas and intentions within a broader historical framework. Offering an exciting critique of postcolonial theory from a historical perspective it is a timely contribution in the wake of the 150th anniversary of Tagore's birth in 2011. . Language: English