Clifford Geertz’s After the Revolution: The Fate of Nationalism in the New States explores the challenges faced by newly independent nations in the post-colonial era. Geertz argues that while the revolution against colonial rule was fueled by nationalist fervor, the transition to self-governance has been fraught with disillusionment, fragmentation, and the struggle to define a national identity. The optimism of independence movements, which promised democracy, economic progress, and cultural revival, has often given way to political stagnation, internal divisions, and unfulfilled expectations.
Geertz identifies four phases of nationalism in post-colonial states:
- Formation of nationalist movements – The initial phase where resistance to colonial rule created broad, often vague notions of national unity.
- Revolution and independence – The climax of nationalist struggle, marked by mass mobilization and a unified political goal.
- State-building – The period when new governments attempt to establish political structures, often revealing the fragility of nationalist unity.
- Internal fragmentation – The emergence of deep-seated divisions along ethnic, religious, and ideological lines, sometimes leading to instability or conflict.
One of the most striking insights in this chapter is Geertz’s assertion that nationalism does not necessarily create a stable national identity. Instead, he argues that anti-colonial movements were often negative coalitions, unified by opposition to a foreign power rather than by a shared internal vision. Once independence was achieved, the question of "who are we now?" became far more difficult to answer. Ethnic, linguistic, and religious divisions that had been downplayed during the independence struggle resurfaced, leading to "nationalisms within nationalism"—subnational movements that challenged the very idea of a unified state.
Geertz illustrates this with examples from across the post-colonial world, showing how different countries grappled with the tension between a desire for cultural continuity (essentialism) and the pressures of modernization (epochalism). In Indonesia, for example, the attempt to forge a cohesive national identity out of a highly diverse society led to ideological conflicts between religious, Marxist, and traditionalist factions. In Algeria, nationalism took on a neotraditionalist form, where post-independence leaders used cultural heritage as a political tool rather than fostering true democratic engagement.
One of Geertz’s key arguments is that post-revolutionary states are not simply in decline but in transition. He critiques the common perception that the failure of many new states to fulfill their revolutionary promises represents a collapse of nationalism. Instead, he suggests that these nations are in the midst of a long and difficult process of self-definition, one that is complicated by historical legacies, economic constraints, and external pressures from former colonial powers and global superpowers.
Review and Critique
Geertz’s analysis is both deeply insightful and refreshingly non-deterministic. Unlike traditional modernization theorists, who viewed nationalism as a linear path toward state consolidation, he recognizes the messiness of history—how political, cultural, and ideological forces collide in unpredictable ways. His emphasis on symbols and meaning rather than purely economic or institutional explanations is one of the chapter’s greatest strengths. He treats nationalism as an evolving cultural system, rather than just a political strategy.
However, one potential limitation of Geertz’s approach is its focus on symbolic identity over material conditions. While he acknowledges economic struggles, he does not fully explore how economic inequality and external economic dependency shape post-colonial nationalism. Many post-independence disappointments were not just crises of meaning but also failures of economic development, exacerbated by continued Western influence in trade and resource extraction.
Additionally, Geertz tends to generalize across different post-colonial experiences without fully distinguishing between successful and unstable nationalisms. While he highlights fragmentation, some newly independent states—such as India and Tanzania—were relatively successful in navigating diversity through inclusive national policies. A more comparative analysis of why some nations managed these challenges better than others would strengthen his argument.
After the Revolution remains an essential text for understanding the long-term challenges of nation-building. Geertz’s central insight—that nationalism is not a completed project but an ongoing negotiation of identity—is highly relevant today, as post-colonial states continue to struggle with internal divisions, political instability, and the legacy of colonial rule. His work challenges simplistic narratives of nationalist failure and urges scholars to see nationalism not just as a political movement but as a cultural process—one that unfolds over generations.
