Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore did not define India as a ‘nation’, because they were

Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore were critical of the Western concept of a 'nation' because it was rooted in the idea of homogeneity and standardization. Tagore, in his 1917 lectures on 'Nationalism', argued that the nation-state was a mechanical organization that suppressed the creative spirit and diversity of society [t4]. He feared that narrow nationalism would lead to hostility toward diverse cultural influences like Islam and Christianity [c2]. Similarly, Gandhi viewed India as a 'civilization' rather than a modern nation-state, emphasizing a composite culture that resisted the totalizing and homogenizing tendencies of Western political structures [t1][t3]. They believed that imposing a singular national identity would destroy the pluralistic fabric of Indian society. Thus, their reluctance to define India as a 'nation' stemmed from their opposition to the idea of homogeneity, favoring instead a plural, inclusive, and non-hegemonic social order [t1][t7].

Sources

1. [1] Political Theory, Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Nationalism > TAGORE'S CRITIQUE OF NATIONALISM > p. 108
2. [2] https://www.arsdcollege.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/9.3-Nationalism-and-culture.pdf