Gandhi's Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India

by Dhirendra K. Jha

A confirmed bigot and an oddball, the man who became Gandhi's assassin was something of a miracle baby. Born to Brahmin parents after several stillbirths, Nathuram Godse started off as a child mystic. However, success in everything serious-studies or work-eluded him. The expectations and frustrations that mark the path of young men who cannot cope with the changing tides form the basis of Dhirendra K. Jha's spectacular study of this disaffected youth. Godse was one of hundreds, and later thousands, of young Indian men to be steered into the sheltering fold of early Hindutva. As disruptions to history evolved new social structures, these men were caught by ideologues, cocooned in a community, and coached and readied for action.
Gandhi's The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India lays bare Godse's relationship with the organizations that influenced his world view and gave him a sense of purpose. The book draws out the gradual hardening of Godse's resolve, and the fateful decisions and intrigue that eventually led to, in the chaotic aftermath of India's independence in 1947, Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. On a wintry Delhi evening on 30 January 1948, Godse shot Gandhi at point-blank range, forever silencing the great man. Godse's journey to this moment of international notoriety from small towns in western India is, by turns, both riveting and wrenching.
Drawing from previously unpublished archival material, Jha challenges the sanitization of Gandhi's assassination, and offers a stunning view on the making of independent India.

Genres: History, India, Nonfiction, Biography, Politics, Historical

339 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 4, 2022

Reviews

[Manu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most important book which every Indian must read in the present times. The author has done excellent research. The main takeaways are :
1. Godse was a deeply insecure and under-confident person, who had certain fantasies about hypermasculinity.
2. VD Savarkar and later the RSS had a deep influence in shaping his worldview.
3. Savarkar was an idol-like figure for Godse.
4. Godse was closely associated with RSS and Hindu Mahasabha till assassination and was a key person in the organizations. The memberships of both the organizations overlapped and they had a fluid-structure.
5. Godse thought that he will be hailed as a hero after the assassination of Gandhi. He was shocked to see the opposite reaction.
6. Godse started his public life as a Congress supporter and turned to bigotry after coming under the influence of Savarkar.
7. RSS got terribly scared after seeing the public anger at the assassination of Gandhi and quickly issued a statement denouncing the assassination and disowning Godse.
At a time when there is a lot of fabrication of history is underway so as to depict Savarkar and Godse as heroes, this book serves a valuable purpose. It debunks a lot of myths. Must read to understand how an ideology of hatred can corrupt ones own self and can lead one to destruction. Sadly, the ideology of hatred and the followers of Godse seem to be prevailing at the present moment. Therefore, this book is all the more important.

[Krisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was just not a murder, it was THE MURDER OF ONE OF THE GREATEST MAN WHO WALKED THIS PLANET
All through this book, I kept thinking of the review I would be writing, but as the book came to an end, I had an empty feeling in my chest; a feeling undescribable. I sat in silence to process the book.
The author has done an amazing research 👏
He takes us throughout the life of Nathuram Godse, right from his childhood to the day he was hanged. I had different views of him, I saw him as a mentally disturbed person, who had a very naive sense of life but yet was confident and eager to prove himself.
It was like being in the mind of someone whose thoughts were completely different, a Philosophy untouched.

I felt no sympathy, but I saw India after partition, through the eyes of an orthodox.

[Rams Gopal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important one and it completely exposes the duplicity of RSS, Savarkar and even Godse. One of the must read category

[Aaditya Pandey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thoroughly researched book about the life of Godse which has never been written before, with such meticulous investigation. Despite being an academic book in nature, it's very gripping and intriguing even though you know the actual occurrences of events.

What this book does, is not only analyse psychological aspects of Godse's life but also the ideas, experience and influences that led him to assassinate Gandhi. Thus, exposing organizations and ideologies that were very intrinsic to his approach.

[Sunil Mathur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished reading the book today, the date when all ideologies culminated into action 74 years ago. The author has done a good job of presenting the material, an eye opener in many aspects for me. The bias against Hindu organizations of the time and hatred for assassin is evident. In today's times, the impact will be depending upon who is reading.

[Tarun Deep Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like a thriller!
Heard it as an audible edition.
Narrated well.
Has synthesised appropriate articles and writings of the era.
A good history book should transport you to the dates the events occurred and this book does it well.
you can feel the events are happening around you although these took place over 70 years ago.
Looking forward to read more from the author.

[Gabriel Embrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admire what Dhirendra K. Jha did with this book as he does far more than tell the story of how Gandhi was killed or the life of Nathuram Godse. He threads intellectual history with biography in a way that convincingly explains the rise of Hindutva communalism and why its vanguard the RSS would conspire to kill Gandhi. The story of the formation of the RSS/ Sangh Parivar is well interlaced with the life of Godse and tells a story of a deeply sad and insecure man riddled with psychosexual issues. However, and to the author's credit, Dhirendra K. Jhadosent doesn't fall back on this to explain Godse's choice to kill Gandhi. He always squarely brings it back to the RSS and the Hindutva ideology that hoped Ghandi's death as the initiating incident for an uprising of dispossessed Hindus to first overturn the fledgling secular Indian state and then reconquer all of the subcontinent under the ages of a Hindu Rahasta.

This is a really good introduction to the Hindu right for those with only a cursory knowledge of Indian history and culture as Dhirendra K. Jha is always careful to explain concepts and practices that are specific to the time and place the text recounts. 'Gandhi's Assassin' is probably one of the best examples that history books meant for a general audience can be methodical and rigorous while remaining readable and exciting

[Marco Corti · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Gandhi's Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India" is not just a biography of an assassin but a powerful study on the genesis and evolution of an ideology that continues to profoundly influence modern India. The book explores how Nathuram Godse, through his involvement with the Hindu Mahasabha and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), became the symbol of a violent nationalist ideology that sought to oppose Gandhi's vision of peaceful coexistence among Hindus, Christians, and Muslims.

The author of the book provides an in-depth psychological analysis of Godse, showing how his personal background and external influences, such as the Italian fascist ideology, contributed to his radicalization. It serves (or should serve) as a warning about the dangers of extreme ideologies and the importance of being vigilant against the resurgence of such movements.

In an India governed by Narendra Modi, where Hindu nationalism has resurfaced, the book is particularly relevant. The similarities between the marches of the young RSS members and the rallies of the fascist youth (Balilla) underline how certain methods of indoctrination and propaganda have a dangerous longevity.

Reading this book not only gave me a deeper understanding of the figure of Godse but also prompted me to reflect on the current dynamics of Indian politics and the importance of preserving the values of tolerance and nonviolence that Gandhi represented. Through its meticulous research and engaging narrative, this work enriches the reader both historically and personally.

[Kushagra Goyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vivid account of the character that brought the end of life of Mahatma. The book is a fascinating read on how social upbringing, anxieties, caste supremacy and ambition pushed Nathuram to the act. It also provides details into the trial and how the solicitors were careful to create a narrative around it. The book illustrates the use of social messaging and narratives to exploit and widen social differences between classes and religious groups to gain power.

Independent of the political climate, the book is an interesting read into the mind of an assassin.

[Tomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good background history on the Hindu nationalist movement. I would’ve liked a section on how the organizations Godse was involved in do or do not tie to current Hindu nationalism, but still I feel like this is an essential piece of the puzzle. Really valuable to understand the perspectives of the key groups/players and their opinions on independence, partition, Gandhi, and Hindu/Muslim relations. I do feel like the actual meat of this book, could be summarized in a couple pages. Regardless, glad to have read!

[S Ravishankar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book on the life of Nathuram Godse, the man who killed Gandhi. It is an in-depth analysis and how this lower middle class young man brought himself to believe Gandhi was the cause of most problems Hindus of his turbulent times faced. The book tries to chronicle events as they occurred without ascribing blame or judging the main characters.

[Avid reader]

Too good.

[Kakoli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched.

[Sarabjeet Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too good..!!

[Kashif Umair · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great and must read book for who cares Gandhi and his India. The writer has exposed Hindutva and their love for hatred and bigotry.

[Ganesh Ghale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this and open your eyes.
Once you read this book you start to understand what is happening today and why that is happening.

[arpan sahni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This deeply researched piece of history, places Nathuram Godse's life as the juncture of the dangerous fault lines in contemporary India: the quest for independence and the rise of Hindu nationalism.