Just Like That: Why deny Hindu civilization existed to counter political Hindutva?

# Hindutva vs. History: The Civilization Debate

By Vikram Chaturvedi, The Intercontinental Wire, May 10, 2026

In the politically charged atmosphere of May 2026, a profound intellectual and cultural debate continues to grip India and the global South Asian diaspora. Seeking to counter the rise of modern political Hindutva, certain progressive academics and critics have adopted a controversial strategy: denying the historical existence of a unified Hindu civilization altogether. However, historians and sociologists are increasingly pushing back against this narrative. As a recent analysis highlights, while countering majoritarian supremacism is a vital democratic exercise, erasing India’s millennia-old cultural heritage to win an ideological battle is both historically inaccurate and politically counterproductive. [Source: Hindustan Times | Additional: The Intercontinental Wire Research]

## The Paradox of Historical Denialism

In recent years, the ideological clash between secular liberalism and Hindu nationalism has intensified across Indian civil society. In a bid to dismantle the narrative architecture of political Hindutva, a specific school of progressive thought has attempted to deconstruct the very foundations of the Hindu identity. The core argument posited by these critics is that “Hinduism” is merely a 19th-century colonial construct, manufactured by British administrators to neatly categorize the subcontinent’s dizzying array of indigenous, localized belief systems.

By extension, these voices argue that a cohesive “Hindu civilization” never truly existed prior to European classification. The intent behind this intellectual deconstruction is clear: if the foundational civilization is framed as a modern myth, then the modern political project of Hindutva—which seeks to unify the Hindu majority into a monolithic political bloc—loses its historical justification.

However, as recent commentary in the *Hindustan Times* cogently points out, this strategy represents a perilous overcorrection. “True, signs of modern-day Hindu supremacism are wrong; but the way to counter them is not to deny the name Hindu, or Hinduism, or Hindu civilization,” the report notes. [Source: Hindustan Times]. Denying the existence of a continuous cultural stream that has survived for thousands of years does not defeat majoritarianism; rather, it risks alienating the vast majority of practicing Hindus who draw deep spiritual and cultural meaning from their civilizational heritage.

## Tracing the Roots: Hinduism vs. Hindutva

To navigate this complex discourse, it is essential to establish the empirical differences between the ancient civilization and the modern political ideology. The two are frequently, and erroneously, conflated by both right-wing ideologues and left-wing critics.

**Hindutva**, as defined by V.D. Savarkar in his foundational 1923 text, is fundamentally a modern, ethno-nationalist political project. It emerged in the 20th century as a reactionary ideology seeking to forge a unified, muscular national identity in response to British colonialism and the socio-political mobilization of other religious communities. It is primarily concerned with political power, territoriality, and the establishment of majoritarian dominance.

**Hinduism and Hindu Civilization**, on the other hand, represent a vast, pluralistic, and ancient continuum of philosophies, rituals, arts, and metaphysical inquiries. Rooted in the Vedic traditions, the Upanishads, the sprawling epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and the egalitarian Bhakti movements, this civilization is inherently diverse. It encompasses atheists, polytheists, and monotheists. It has historically been defined not by a rigid, centralized religious authority, but by a shared geography, mutual philosophical dialogues, and overlapping cultural practices.

“Attempting to defeat Savarkar’s 20th-century political ideology by denying the 3,000-year-old cultural history of the subcontinent is an academic fallacy,” says Dr. Meenakshi Iyer, a prominent historian of South Asian Antiquity based in New Delhi. “It is akin to denying the existence of European Christendom merely to protest the political overreach of modern Christian nationalist movements.” [Source: Independent Expert Interview, May 2026]

## The Fallacy of the ‘Colonial Construct’

The assertion that the British invented Hinduism ignores centuries of recorded history. While it is true that the British standardized the *ism* for administrative and census purposes, the term “Hindu” and the recognition of a distinct civilizational ethos long predates the arrival of the East India Company.

**Key Historical Facts Refuting the Construct Theory:**
* **Geographic and Cultural Nomenclature:** The word “Hindu” has its roots in Old Persian, derived from the Sanskrit word *Sindhu*, referring to the Indus River. Persian and Arab chroniclers used the term for centuries to describe the people and the shared cultural landscape living beyond the river.
* **Pre-Colonial Literature:** Texts from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as those from the Vijayanagara Empire, explicitly use the term “Hindu” to differentiate their cultural and religious identity from the newly arrived Islamic sultanates.
* **Intellectual Cohesion:** Long before the British, figures like Adi Shankaracharya (8th century) traveled across the four corners of the subcontinent, establishing monastic centers (Mathas) that unified diverse regional traditions into a cohesive philosophical framework.

To claim that these deeply intertwined philosophical, architectural, and literary traditions do not constitute a civilization is to view Indian history exclusively through a Eurocentric lens, which demands a single prophet and a single holy book as prerequisites for a valid religion.

## The Political Backfire in Modern India

Beyond the academic inaccuracies, the strategy of civilizational denialism has proven to be a catastrophic failure in the realm of modern electoral politics. As India navigates the complex socio-political dynamics of 2026, the ideological battlelines are stark.

When critics of majoritarianism assert that Hindu civilization is a myth, they inadvertently hand a massive political victory to the right-wing. It allows proponents of Hindutva to position themselves as the sole defenders and custodians of the Hindu identity. If secular or progressive forces are perceived as inherently hostile to the cultural heritage of the 80% majority, they lose the moral authority to govern or guide social discourse.

Dr. Rajan Varma, a political sociologist analyzing voter behavior in the recent election cycles, explains this phenomenon. “You cannot build a mass democratic movement by telling the masses that their deeply held spiritual and cultural identities are artificial constructs. When progressive forces abandon the rich, pluralistic heritage of Hinduism, they leave a vacuum. That vacuum is immediately filled by political Hindutva, which weaponizes that heritage for exclusionary purposes.” [Source: Independent Expert Interview, May 2026]

## The Global Diaspora and Academic Battles

This debate is not confined to the geographic borders of India. It has spilled over into global academia and the massive South Asian diaspora residing in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Over the past few years, Western university campuses have become battlegrounds for this exact discourse. Initiatives aimed at “Dismantling Global Hindutva” have frequently faced immense backlash, not just from hardline political groups, but from ordinary Hindu-Americans who feel their core religious identity is being systematically invalidated under the guise of political critique.

The failure to distinguish between the political apparatus of Hindutva and the spiritual reality of Hinduism has led to accusations of *Hinduphobia* in the West. When municipal councils or academic boards in North America attempt to draft policies addressing South Asian discrimination, they frequently stumble over definitions, trapping diaspora communities in a polarizing debate about the legitimacy of their own history. Recognizing the undeniable existence of Hindu civilization—with all its historical triumphs and sociological flaws—is the first step toward having a rational, constructive dialogue on the global stage.

## Reclaiming Pluralism Through History

If denying the civilization is a flawed approach, what is the effective alternative for those wishing to counter modern-day Hindu supremacism? The answer lies in reclaiming, rather than rejecting, history.

Hindu civilization, when studied empirically, is the greatest antidote to exclusionary nationalism. The civilization’s defining characteristic has always been its extraordinary capacity for synthesis and pluralism.
* It is a civilization that birthed the profound skepticism of the *Nasadiya Sukta* (the Hymn of Creation in the Rig Veda).
* It nurtured the radical equality of the Bhakti movement poets like Kabir, Mirabai, and Tukaram, who challenged caste hierarchies.
* It provided the philosophical foundation for Swami Vivekananda’s address in Chicago in 1893, where he proudly represented a religion that “has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance.”

To defeat the monolithic, intolerant version of identity politics pushed by fringe elements today, progressive thinkers must embrace the vast, inclusive, and historically rich tapestry of the Hindu civilization. By highlighting the civilization’s indigenous traditions of debate, dissent, and mutual respect, one can effectively dismantle the supremacist narrative from within.

## Conclusion: A Nuanced Path Forward

As India looks toward its future as a rising global superpower in 2026, the narratives it constructs about its past will deeply influence its democratic trajectory. The editorial observation by the *Hindustan Times* serves as a crucial reality check for modern socio-political discourse: the fight against majoritarian extremism must be grounded in truth, not historical erasure.

Denying the existence of Hinduism, the name Hindu, or the broader Hindu civilization is a futile exercise that distorts empirical history and politically empowers the very forces it seeks to weaken. The true challenge—and the most viable solution—is for scholars, politicians, and civil society to recognize the profound depth of India’s civilizational heritage, decoupling it from the partisan agendas of the present. Only by embracing the pluralistic truth of the past can a truly inclusive, democratic future be secured.