Soul of India

A towering figure in the Indian nationalist movement, Bipin Chandra Pal was a leader of the extremist wing of the Congress Party, advocating a more militant line against British imperialism. An active politician, he was also an intellectual: The Soul of India, published in 1911, was a reflection of his belief that writing could also inspire the masses in the struggle for independence. Pal was instrumental in the creation of a comprehensive and constructive ideology which would be the basis for what he described as the ‘new patriotism’. Pal invoked the Hindu god Krishna as both a symbol and a means through which India’s past could manifest itself in the present, as well as the future. The Soul of India is a comparison of Indian and western thought, as well as an analysis of Indian history and the condition of the country in Pal’s day – the result is a unique work that reflects the ideals and principles of one of India’s most respected leaders.