Gendered nationalism in colonial India

Ideals of sacrifice, loyalty, and domesticity embodied by women in ancient texts define modern gender identity in India. The notion of the Indian woman, based on these ideals, prevails in both ancient texts and modern political life. What methods and perspectives linked ancient ideals of womanhood to a modern gender identity for Indian women? Nationalism in early twentieth century India attached ancient ideals of womanhood to modern national identity. Nationalism changed gender based on interactions between colonialists and nationalist elite on sex and gender. Colonial discourses influenced national gender identity by emphasizing the superiority of British women over Indian women. Nationalist discourses, patriarchal and masculinist in perspective, constructed national identity for Indian women based on the performance of ancient ideals of womanhood to counter British cultural domination. Thus, nationalism in India was gendered, through the manipulation and appropriation of ancient gender identities, to preserve cultural identities in addition to seeking independence from the British Empire.