Histories of Nationalism beyond Europe: Myths, Elitism and Transnational Connections (Palgrave Studies in Political History)

This edited collection explores varying shapes of nationalism in different regional and historical settings in order to analyse the important role that nationalism has played in shaping the contemporary world. Taking a global approach, the collection includes case studies from the Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America. Unique not only in its wide range of geographically diverse case studies, this book is also innovative due to its comparative approach that combines different perspectives on how nations have been understood and how they came into being, highlighting the transnational connections between various countries. The authors examine what is meant by the concepts of nation and national identity, discussing themes such as citizenship, ethnicity, historical symbols and the role of elites. By exploring these entangled categories of nationalism, the authors argue that throughout history, elites have created artificial versions of nationalism through symbolism and mythology, which has led to nationalism being understood through social constructivist or primordialist lenses. This diverse collection will appeal to researchers studying nationalism, including historians, political scientists and anthropologists. Jan Zahorik is Associate Professor of Modern History, currently at the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Czech Republic. He was a visiting professor at the University of Pavia, and closely collaborates with Jimma University in Ethiopia. His research focuses on the modern history and politics of the Horn of Africa, and conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa. Antonio Morone is Associate Professor of Contemporary African History at the University of Pavia in Italy. Having previously been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Tripoli, Libya, and at the University of La Manouba, Tunisia, Antonio now teaches colonial and postcolonial history, as well as the history of the Mediterranean and Eastern Africa Contents Notes on Contributors 1 Introduction References 2 Swedish and Norwegian Nationalism on Display in Early Twentieth-Century South Africa Part 1: Turn of the Century Nationalism in Sweden and Norway Part 2: The Swedish Mission in the South African Context Lutherans Among the Zulu The CSM in the Colonial Context The CSM Church-Nation Programme Put into Practice Zulu History The Missionaries and Polygyny The CSM Put to Test: The 1906 Uprising The Norwegians and 1906 Concluding Remarks References 3 Antoun Saadeh and the Concept of the Syrian Nation Introduction The Birth of the Pan-Syrian Idea The Greater Syria Idea After 1970 Conclusion References 4 On the Shores of Phoenicia: Phoenicianism, Political Maronitism, and Christian Nationalism in Lebanon The Genesis of Phoenicianism Drawing Inspiration: The Imagined Mountain Phoenicia: The Merchant Republic The Aftermath of Phoenicianism and the Politics of Isolation References 5 Nationalism Without Nation: Sudanese Decolonization and Its Aftermath Between Two Domini Divided Elite Forgotten Periphery Elusive Sudanese Conclusion References 6 Multiple Layers of Competing Nationalisms in Contemporary Ethiopia Introduction Pan-Ethiopianism Ethnonationalism from the Derg to EPRDF Reshaping the Nationalist Landscape in Twenty-First Century Views on the Modern “Ethiopian State” Conclusion References 7 Somali and Libyan Transition Towards Independence Compared: The Struggle Between New and Former Elites The Italian Trusteeship and Somali Nationalism The Libyan Loose Federation and Its Conservative Leadership Conclusion References 8 Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Birth of Mexican Nationalism Reflection on Religious Symbol of Mexican Nation On Some Particular Features of Nationalisms in Latin America On the Case of Mexico—Our Lady of Guadalupe On the Origin of the National Symbol Instead of Conclusion References 9 The History and Present of Japanese Nationalism: Was Alive Yesterday, Is Alive Today Introduction Re-writing and Falsifying History Nationalism Taking Off in the 1990s and The Nippon Kaigi (Japan Conference) Denying the Undeniable ‘Post-memory Generation’ Socially Acceptable Xenophobia What Do They Want? Fully ‘Back’ in 2020 Revisionist in-Chief: Shinzo Abe Abe’s Friends and Cronies Conclusion References Index