Neither Settler nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities

Prospect Top 50 Thinker of 2021 | British Academy Book Prize Finalist | PROSE Award Finalist

“Provocative, elegantly written.” —Fara Dabhoiwala, New York Review of Books

“Demonstrates how a broad rethinking of political issues becomes possible when Western ideals and practices are examined from the vantage point of Asia and Africa.” —Pankaj Mishra, New York Review of Books

Neither Settler nor Native is a groundbreaking work by Mahmood Mamdani, offering a radical rethinking of the modern nation-state and its colonial origins. From Israel to Sudan, Mamdani traces how political systems around the world have been built through the creation of a dominant majority and an oppressed minority — a process rooted in the colonial project that began in America and evolved through Europe’s genocides and wars.

Arguing that the nation-state itself was born of colonial violence, Mamdani challenges conventional approaches to justice that rely solely on criminal accountability. He points instead to the need for political solutions — reimagining communities that include victims, perpetrators, bystanders, and beneficiaries alike. His vision calls for delinking the nation from the state to ensure equal political rights for all.

Drawing comparisons from history’s darkest moments — from the Holocaust to postcolonial conflicts — Mamdani presents an urgent, hopeful path toward a more inclusive politics of decolonization and reconciliation.

“A deeply learned account of the origins of our modern world… destined to become a classic text of postcolonial studies and political theory.” —Moustafa Bayoumi, author of How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?

“A masterwork of historical comparison and razor-sharp political analysis.” —Karuna Mantena, Columbia University

“A powerfully original argument… a map for our political future.” —Faisal Devji, University of Oxford