International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Language and State Formation in India: Analysing the Role of Linguistic Identity in Territorial Reorganization

Language has been the fundamental and crucial element for the political and territorial reorganisation of newly sovereign India, serving as both an emotional symbol of identity and a strategic instrument of mobilisation. This paper analyses the role of linguistic identity in shaping state formation. To investigate how language functions in federal restructuring, the study uses a historical-analytical approach based on secondary sources and theoretical frameworks such as Paul Brass's ethnolinguistic mobilisation, Benedict Anderson's "imagined communities," and Sudipta Kaviraj's postcolonial state theory. Case studies demonstrate how language rearrangement fostered recurrent demands for autonomy and strengthened sub-nationalism, even as it maintained the Union by embracing diversity. The study makes the case that language in India is a dynamic political resource that continues to influence regional identity, federal stability, and democratic participation, rather than just being a cultural characteristic. The study helps to clarify the persistent conflict between regional assertion and national unity in multilingual democracies by placing India's linguistic politics within larger discussions of nationalism and federalism.