Book contents
- When Politics Are Sacralized
- When Politics Are Sacralized
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface and Acknowledgments
- 1 A Comparative Perspective on Religious Claims and Sacralized Politics
- Part I Israel
- Part II India
- Part III Sri Lanka
- 8 The Genesis, Consolidation, and Consequences of Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalism
- Part IV Serbia
- Part V Iran
- Part VI Saudi Arabia and Wahhabism
- Part VII Northern Ireland
- Part VIII Palestine
- Index
- References
8 - The Genesis, Consolidation, and Consequences of Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalism
from Part III - Sri Lanka
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 June 2021
By
Book contents
- When Politics Are Sacralized
- When Politics Are Sacralized
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface and Acknowledgments
- 1 A Comparative Perspective on Religious Claims and Sacralized Politics
- Part I Israel
- Part II India
- Part III Sri Lanka
- 8 The Genesis, Consolidation, and Consequences of Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalism
- Part IV Serbia
- Part V Iran
- Part VI Saudi Arabia and Wahhabism
- Part VII Northern Ireland
- Part VIII Palestine
- Index
- References
Summary
Sri Lanka appeared to have the capacity to make a successful transition to modern statehood. It, however, squandered that promise and has become a reference point for ethno-religious carnage. The ethnocracy that Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists promoted not only led to a civil war with the Tamil minority that lasted nearly three decades; the resultant triumphalism has promoted anti-Muslim agitprop and violence. The success of Sinhalese nationalism has ensured a majoritarian milieu in which the dominant Buddhist community holds sway, but the resultant militarization amidst pluralism and democracy being compromised could well lead to an autocratic ethnocracy down the road.
Keywords
- Type
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- Information
- When Politics are SacralizedComparative Perspectives on Religious Claims and Nationalism, pp. 187 - 212Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021
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