Hindu Revolution - Causes

Causes

The causes of the Hindu Revolution may be classified into five broad categories: economic, religious, cultural, political and ideological.

• Economic: historically, the most pressing cause of the Revolution was the economic domination and exploitation by the colonial state, resulting in chronic poverty and recurrent famines; this had already provoked widespread popular uprisings such as that of the sannyasis and peasants of Bengal (1761–1800).

• Religious and cultural: the growing influence of Western religion and culture on Indian society was seen as an assault on Hindu civilisation.

• Political: political domination by foreign powers was identified as the root cause of India's economic problems, leading to mounting demands for limited self-government and, by 1930, full constitutional independence (Swaraj).

• Ideological: an equally important role was played by ideological causes such as the rise of Hindu nationalism and the emergence of a Hindu revolutionary ideology.

At present the causes remain largely the same. In spite of India's recent economic growth, poverty continues to affect a significant proportion of the population. The subordinate and defensive position into which Hindu religion and culture have been forced by Western influences continues to provide one of the most powerful motivators of the movement, together with the domination of the political field by the Congress party and its political allies.

Widespread corruption has become an additional source of popular dissatisfaction with the existing political system since Independence in 1947.