Histories of Nationalism beyond Europe

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 Záhořík 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.