Explore the pivotal role of gender in shaping the Indian nation through colonial and postcolonial literary narratives. This insightful study examines how representations of Indian women in texts from 1857-1947 became symbols for both Indian self-rule and British imperialism. Discover the complex idealization of the upper-class Hindu woman and its impact on nationalist discourse, including internal divisions. Essential for scholars of Indian literature, gender studies, nationalism, and postcolonial India, this book offers a profound understanding of identity formation in a changing nation.