Spiritual Nationalism, Gender Ambivalence, and the Politics of Historical Memory in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Anandamath

Abstract Anandamath (1882), authored by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, occupies a foundational position in the intellectual history of Indian nationalism. Set against the historical backdrop of the late eighteenth-century Sannyasi Rebellion and the Bengal famine, the novel fuses militant nationalism with Hindu religious revivalism through epic narrative strategies and powerful ideological symbols, most notably Vande Mataram. This paper offers an interdisciplinary analysis of Anandamath using close textual reading of the Chatterjee (1882/2016) English translation alongside a systematic synthesis of scholarship. The study examines how the novel constructs a spiritually sanctioned model of militant Hindu nationalism while simultaneously engaging in revisionist practices that reshape historical memory. Particular attention is paid to the ethical framing of violence, the sacralisation of the nation as Mother Goddess, and gender ambivalence through the character of Shanti. The paper argues that while Anandamath functioned as a powerful mobilising text within anti-colonial nationalist consciousness, it also embedded enduring ideological tensions related to gender, secularism, and communal identity that continue to shape contemporary debates in India. Keywords: Anandamath, gender, Hindu nationalism, historical memory, Vande Mataram