Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Art And Identity: The Creation Of An ‘Imagined Community’ In India, Maria Kingsley

Global Tides

Colonial powers, indigenous traditions, and internal ethnic and religious rivalries all contribute to Indians’ modern sense of identity. This paper demonstrates how the development of Indian art reflects the contributions of these factors to the creation of an “imagined community” in India. In particular, the artistic discourse in India reflects a larger tension in Indian identity and politics between becoming a part of the modern, global economy and remaining a unique, national, self-defining community.