Volume 2 - Issue 1, January - February 2026

Communalism constitutes one of the most persistent and deeply rooted challenges in the social and political history of modern India. This paper undertakes a comprehensive sociological and historical examination of the emergence and growth of communalism during the colonial period, using Bipan Chandra’s three-stage framework as its principal analytical tool. The study rejects the notion that communalism is a manifestation of ancient or primordial religious hostility and instead argues that it is a modern political phenomenon shaped by British colonial governance, socio-economic transformations, and elite strategies of political mobilization. Drawing upon qualitative analysis of secondary sources including historical texts, sociological studies, and colonial records, the paper explores how administrative practices such as census classification, separate electorates, differential patronage, and constitutional reforms institutionalized religious identities and encouraged competitive communal politics. By integrating historical narratives with sociological theories of conflict and social identity, the paper conceptualizes communalism as a structural and strategic process rather than a purely ideological or emotional phenomenon. The analysis further examines the long-term consequences of communalism, particularly the Partition of India in 1947 and the persistence of communal tensions in postcolonial India. The paper contributes to existing scholarship by bridging the gap between historical and sociological perspectives, offering a nuanced framework for understanding communalism in both colonial and contemporary contexts.

Dr.Sayama,"Communalism in Colonial India: A Sociological Analysis Based on Bipan Chandra’s Framework" International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Educational Development, V2(1): Page(599-602) Jan-Feb 2026. ISSN: 3107-6513. www.ijamred.com. Published by Scientific and Academic Research Publishing.