The Argumentative Indian

A collection of sixteen essays, several developed from lectures and articles, subtitled Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity. Sen's central claim is that India has a long tradition of public argument, scepticism and tolerance of heterodoxy, running from debates in the Upaniṣads and the epics through the Buddhist councils, the emperor Ashoka's rules for respectful disagreement, and the Mughal emperor Akbar's discussions among people of many faiths. He uses this history to argue against a narrow, Hindu-nationalist account of Indian identity and in favour of secular democracy, which he sees as having Indian roots, not only Western ones. Other essays discuss Tagore and Satyajit Ray, India's long engagement with China, Indian calendars, Western images of India, the nuclear tests of 1998, and persistent inequalities of class, caste and gender. Critics have argued that he selects the heterodox strands of Indian history that suit his liberal secularism and plays down others.

It offers a historically grounded case that public reasoning, pluralism and democracy have deep roots in Indian culture, and shows how history can be used in arguments about identity.