Water-insoluble, crosslinked, sulfonated aromatic polyamide

A polymer comprising recurring units corresponding to Formula I:

• ##STR11## wherein y, at each occurrence, is independently a compatible substituent, M.sup.+, at each occurrence, is a compatible cation, R.sup.2 at each occurrence is a covalent bond, or R.sup.2 is hydrocarbylene or inertly substituted hydrocarylene;
• and Z at each occurrence is independently ##STR12## and R.sup.1 at each occurrence is independently hydrocarbylene or an inertly substituted hydrocarbylene, wherein the ploymer comprises an effective number of crosslinking groups so as to render the polymer normally insoluble in water and wherein the polymer would be water-soluble or water dispersible to the extent of at least about 1 weight percent polymer at 20.degree. C., if the polymer were not crosslinked.