The Ambedkar Nietzsche Provocations - Release Date February 15, 2026

In The Ambedkar–Nietzsche Provocations, Ankit Kawade explores the striking and paradoxical convergence between Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher renowned for his radical critique of morality and inequality, and B.R. Ambedkar, the pioneering Indian thinker and champion of social justice. Nietzsche, in the late 1890s, provocatively labeled Christianity a “Chandala religion,” invoking a term traditionally used to describe the Untouchables in caste society. Decades later, Ambedkar referred to Hinduism as “the gospel of the superman,” repurposing Nietzsche’s concept of the Übermensch—a figure who transcends conventional morality. Kawade unravels this unusual interchange of terminology, tracing how these two towering figures became entangled in a complex web of interpretation centered around the Manusmriti, the ancient Brahmanic text that codified caste and gender oppression. This book marks the first comprehensive study of the provocative parallels and profound divergences between Ambedkar and Nietzsche. Kawade, a doctoral candidate in Political Science at Johns Hopkins University and recipient of the Navayana Dalit History Fellowship 2021, brings a unique perspective shaped by his academic journey through Jawaharlal Nehru University. This is his debut publication.