The Makers of Middle Class Society in British Bengal: Traversing the Unfrequented Past

This book explores the historiography of politics in colonial Bengal through examining political theologies as they had to emerge in the then Bengal. The discourses of the political theology make the disposition to regard few stalwart Bengalees for dialectically making, unmaking and re-making the epistemic interpretations of Hinduness. In fact, the outbreak of such ideas of theology was brought forth by the colonial oppressions, nepotism and cultural imperialism which altogether became instrumental to the formation of a middle class society in British Bengal. Therefore, what and how Bengal and the Bengalees acquired the present mode of modernity can be traced back to those few Bengalee intellectuals who in their philosophy and actions broadly focused on religion, religiosity and spirituality in different ways, that fulfilled the need for changes in socio-political landscape in the then Bengal by harnessing the ideas of Hindu Nationalism . This book selects eight such stalwart middle class Bengalees who gave shape to the British-era Bengali middle class society by garnering the ideas of Hindu Nationalism. This book is meant for the students of higher level, mainly from post-graduation level onwards, and the academicians in disciplines like Political Science, History, Philosophy, Sociology and Culture Studies, particularly those who are interested to know of the middle class historiography of modern Bengal.

Pratick Mallick is an Assistant Professor in Political Science at Acharya Prafulla Chandra College, New Barrackpore, Kolkata. Earlier he was associated with the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur as a Research Assistant in an ICSSR Project. He has widely published in journals and edited volumes from publishers of international repute. His research areas cover politology of Indian middle class, political theology and subaltern studies of West Bengal.

Political Theology, Hindu Nationalism and the Making of Modern Bengal examines the historiography of politics in colonial Bengal through the lens of political theology and its emergence within the social, cultural, and political conditions of British India. The book explores how ideas surrounding religion, religiosity, spirituality, identity, and nationalism interacted with colonial rule and contributed to the formation and transformation of the Bengali middle class.

Colonial Bengal witnessed profound political and intellectual changes shaped by colonial oppression, cultural imperialism, administrative practices, and social inequalities. These circumstances provided an environment in which new political and theological discourses emerged. The book investigates how these discourses influenced the ways in which Hinduness and Hindu identity were interpreted, constructed, questioned, and reconstructed by influential Bengali intellectuals.

A central theme of the work is the relationship between political theology and the development of Hindu nationalism. Rather than treating religious and political ideas as separate domains, the book examines their intersection and demonstrates how religious philosophy, spirituality, and political thought became intertwined with the broader transformation of Bengal's socio-political landscape. The intellectual responses to colonialism played an important role in shaping new understandings of identity, society, nationalism, and modernity.

The book focuses particularly on eight influential Bengali middle-class intellectuals whose ideas and actions contributed to the development of modern Bengali society during the British period. Through their philosophical reflections, social interventions, and political thought, these figures engaged with questions of religion, spirituality, social reform, cultural identity, and nationalism. Their contributions are examined to understand how the Bengali middle class developed its intellectual and cultural outlook in response to the challenges and opportunities presented by colonial modernity.

The work also seeks to trace the historical roots of the modernity acquired by Bengal and its people. It argues that the emergence of modern social and political consciousness in Bengal cannot be understood without examining the intellectual debates and ideological transformations that took place during the colonial period. The interaction between indigenous traditions and colonial influences produced new forms of political and cultural thought that had a lasting impact on Bengali society.

By bringing together political history, intellectual history, religious thought, sociology, philosophy, and cultural studies, the book offers a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the evolution of modern Bengal. It provides readers with an opportunity to examine how ideas of religion and nationalism became significant components of middle-class identity formation and political discourse during a crucial period in Indian history.

Overall, Political Theology, Hindu Nationalism and the Making of Modern Bengal provides a detailed exploration of the intellectual and political processes that shaped colonial Bengal and contributed to the emergence of its modern middle-class society. It will be particularly valuable for postgraduate students, researchers, and academicians in Political Science, History, Philosophy, Sociology, and Cultural Studies, as well as readers interested in the intellectual history of modern Bengal, colonialism, political theology, nationalism, and the evolution of Bengali middle-class identity.