This chapter is concerned with excavating the historical context that gave rise to Islamism, particularly in North India, and the paradoxes that surround its self-defined antagonistic relationship to secularism. I focus here on the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), an Islamist party founded in 1941 that has been particularly influential in not just the South Asian context but in inspiring similar groups around the world. My point of departure is Asad's insight that secularism is not a one-time separation of church and state, but a constant remodelling and refashioning of religious practice by the state, giving rise to new versions and forms of religion. I propose here that Islamism is closely related to the secularism that helped define its limits, its contentions and its focus; the relationship between Islamism and secularism is not one of straightforward antagonism but a dialectical and creative one. Critically, I propose that the type of secularism that the British sought to impose in colonial India created the possibility of this novelty in Muslim thought and practice that is called Islamism.

Tradition, modernity and secularism in Muslim societies

Before we proceed, it would be useful to complicate our understanding of tradition and modernity, particularly with reference to Islamism. Islamism is often conceived of as a ‘traditional’ reaction against ‘modernity’ and secularism is seen to be an integral part of this modernity.