Nepali Wanderer

Nationalism is a feeling of loyalty and devotion towards one’s nation. Just as it is natural for people to feel an attachment to their native land, culture, religion, and traditions, this sense of loyalty and devotion has been a longstanding part of human history.

However, just as Nation-States themselves are relatively new constructs, the concept of Nationalism — the feeling of being a proud Nepali, Italian, or German — is also relatively new. While we all love our nations, it’s interesting to look back and wonder how this feeling developed. For many of us, institutions like schools instill nationalism early on as we learn about the glorious past of our history and our unique place in the world. Public displays like statues and monuments of national heroes, along with popular culture such as media, movies, and national sports teams, further instill, stir, and embolden our sense of nationalism.

While it is normal and necessary to feel love and devotion for one’s nation, this sentiment can sometimes turn into jingoism (extreme nationalism marked by aggressive, warlike sentiments). The worst form of nationalism often involves ideas of homogeneity and purity that hinge on xenophobia. This dangerous mix of jingoism and greed (borne out of Capitalism) further propelled the rise of Imperialism, the practice of extending power and dominion over other countries. Imperialism, jingoism, and greed ultimately led to two of the darkest episodes in human history: the two World Wars of the 20th century.

The two World Wars are well-documented, discussed, and often debated events. While it’s possible to highlight one or two incidents as the main causes of these wars and to play blame games depending on the side of the narrative you choose, it’s more enlightening to focus on the underlying causes: imperialism, jingoism, and greed. Wars often stir the emotion of “us vs. them,” and nothing incites extreme nationalism more than war. The willingness to kill or die for a nation underscores the potent effect of wars in stirring nationalism.

As a consequence, both World Wars strengthened the growing feeling of nationalism worldwide and led to the formation of more nations. Moreover, wars forced all involved superpowers to eventually lose their colonies, as the losers had to relinquish them immediately, and the winners eventually. The wars proved costly for even the victors, highlighting that there are no true winners in war.

While the end of the First World War led to the creation of nation-states across Europe and the Middle East, it was after the Second World War that a flurry of nations gained independence as weakened superpowers ceded their colonies in what is known as the decolonization phase. Modern-day nation-states like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and many others in Asia, as well as 52 out of 54 nation-states in Africa, were formed after the Second World War. Pick a country randomly from the approximately 200 countries in the world, and chances are it was formed in the aftermath of the World Wars.

While decolonization and the subsequent foundation of independent states is a milestone to celebrate, there are significant concerns attached to it. Violent partitions like that of India and Pakistan, ongoing feuds, and conflicts in the Middle East often have roots in colonization and decolonization. One major issue is the “borders” of these newly formed nation-states.

Borders shaped by natural barriers like seas, rivers, or mountains make sense because natural barriers play a pivotal role in shaping the evolution of different cultures and ethnicities. Ideally, borders evolve over time rather than being created overnight. However, during the decolonization phase, borders were often arbitrarily drawn by outsiders with little knowledge or regard for the places they were dividing.

This artificial drawing of borders has had grave repercussions, especially in Africa, where it has led to ongoing problems that persist today. The “Scramble for Africa,” in which European powers randomly drew borders in Africa out of self-interest, resulted in colonial borders that became national borders post-decolonization. These colonial borders often ignored the native populations, separating similar tribes and grouping together different, often rival, tribes. This has had a destabilizing effect in Africa, leading to ethnic tensions and violence, and sometimes even ethnic wars.

Over the past 200 years, we have seen significant changes in the global landscape, from exploration and colonization to the formation of nation-states, wars, and decolonization. We now have distinct nation-states, national identities, and borders, leading to a seemingly stable global structure. This stability might give us the impression that we have reached the saturation point in the formation of nation-states.

Maybe we have. Maybe we haven’t. One thing we learn from history is that change is inevitable, and it often occurs gradually.

In our final chapter, we will discuss the future of nation-states and the potential roles that money and religion — our two main characters — could play in that change, some of which are already unfolding before our eyes.