1911: A Revisionist Perspective

Soccer and Society Vol. 6, Nos 2/3, June/September 2005, pp. 142–157

1911: A Revisionist Perspective [e-mail] 203/1 Bidhan SaraneeCalcutta700 006India BoriaMajumdar Group2005 (online) 000000June/September 2 6/3 2005 Original Francis 1466-0970 Francis Soccer and (print)/1743-9590 10.1080/14660970500106329 FSAS110615.sgm Taylor &Article Ltd Ltd Society

Situating 1911 in Indian History Mohun Bagan’s epochal IFA Shield victory of 1911 is one of the most commented upon events in Indian sporting history. From scholars to enthusiasts, learned to laity, every Indian takes a legitimate pride in reckoning that this sporting success was a historic milestone not only in the history of Indian sport but in that of Indian nationalism as well. Existing historiography of this event describes it in terms of nationalism, racism, commercialism and culture. While European scholars[1] seek to analyse its nationalistracist significance in the context of imperial mission of the ‘games ethic’[2] and consider it to be a success story of British ‘cultural imperialism’, most Indian historians[3] see it as the culmination of the Swadeshi[4] celebration of brawn and the cult of physical fitness and hail it as an indigenous nationalist reaction with potential repercussions on society, culture and economy. There is yet another line of interpretation that looks at the event from purely a footballing angle stressing the club’s professional attitude towards the game. Despite all this, much remains to be explained so far as the true historical significance of this much-commented upon sporting event in Indian history is concerned. To be more specific, none of the available works seek to analyse the character and pattern of sporting nationalism and specific forms of nationalist sporting culture in the wake of the victory, the story of racist discrimination that followed in its