That every civilization emerges out of interactions with others, but nevertheless creates its own miracle, was not yet recognized by either European … - Romila Thapar

Nations are not easily forged since many identities have to be coalesced.

Nationalism seeks legitimacy from the past and history therefore becomes a sensitive subject.

Hindutva claims to represent indigenous Indian thought opposed to western interpretations of Indian religion, traditions and culture. The claim is that colonial scholarship used its understanding of Indian culture for political purposes to justify colonialism. Yet Hindutva is doing precisely the same by reformulating Hinduism along the lines suggested by colonial interpretations in order to facilitate its use in political mobilization. It uses colonial constructions of the Indian past such as the theories of James Mill and Max Mueller to further its programme of political control. The exploitation of history becomes a significant dimension of its attempt to appropriate the understanding of the past.