Constructing national identity through World Heritage: the international and intranational politics of the built environment in Ahmadabad

Ahmadabad's designation as India's first UNESCO World Heritage city in 2017 reveals the dual politics of heritage narrative construction, both internationally and domestically. While globally, Ahmadabad is framed as a multicultural site to attract global audiences, internally it serves as a subtle tool for ethno-nationalist control, curating Islamism while excluding Muslim and migrant populations most closely tied to its heritage. This study, using semi-structured interviews and document analysis, uncovers how socio-political and economic forces manipulate built heritage to shape national identity, highlighting the complex interplay between international recognition and internal exclusion.

Janakiraman, A. (2021). Constructing national identity through World Heritage: the international and intranational politics of the built environment in Ahmadabad. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 28(2), 235–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2021.1978105