What does communalism mean?
Communalism is a noun describing the division of society into distinct communities — most often defined by religion — where loyalty to one's own group takes precedence over a shared civic or national identity. The term is especially prominent in South Asian political discourse, where 'religious communalism' names sectarian antagonism between communities such as Hindus and Muslims, and is widely regarded as a destructive force in public life; phrases like 'the rise of communalism' and 'communal violence' are staples of journalism in the region. Beyond this dominant sense, communalism can more generally describe parochial devotion to a local or social group, and in some historical writing it referred to governance organized around communes rather than a central state. It should not be confused with communism, which concerns collective ownership of property rather than group identity. Formal in register, the word remains essential vocabulary for understanding identity-based politics.
nounStrong allegiance to the interests of one's own community or social group, often at the expense of a broader common good; especially in South Asia, division of society along religious or communal lines and the antagonism that results from it.
- Division of society into competing communities, especially along religious lines, with loyalty to one's own group overriding a shared national or civic identity (dominant in South Asian English).
- More generally, strong attachment to the interests of one's own local or social group at the expense of wider society.
"The government's new policy was criticized as a step toward communalism, deepening divisions between the country's religious communities."
"Historians trace the roots of Indian communalism to colonial policies that hardened boundaries between religious communities."
"In its older, broader sense, communalism simply described a preference for local self-governance through communes."
"Political commentators warned that inflammatory rhetoric risked reviving communalism ahead of the elections."
Rarely used in the plural; occasionally appears in academic writing to refer to distinct instances or varieties of communalist ideology across different societies.
"Scholars have compared the different communalisms that emerged across colonial and postcolonial states."
In South Asia, 'communalism' has nothing to do with sharing — it's a loaded political term for religious division, and it has shaped elections, riots, and national history for over a century.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of communalism
Communalism derives from 'communal', which comes via French from Late Latin 'communalis', formed on Latin 'communis', meaning 'common' or 'shared by all'. The word emerged in the nineteenth century, initially describing life organized around communes or local communities. Its modern prominence grew in twentieth-century South Asia, where British colonial administrators used it to label political mobilization along religious lines — a usage that persists today. It shares its Latin root with words such as 'community', 'communicate', and 'common'.
Related word forms
How communalism is actually used
The word is largely neutral-descriptive in general British and American usage, but in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh it carries strong negative connotations, denoting sectarian politics seen as corrosive to national unity. In historical and anarchist writing, an earlier sense referred to organization around communes rather than the state. Register: formal, academic, and journalistic.
Easily confused with communalism
Communalism refers to loyalty to one's own community or, in South Asian usage, religious sectarianism, whereas communism is a political and economic ideology advocating collective ownership of property.