Indian Foreign Policy In A Unipolar World (war And International Politics In South Asia)

"India's foreign policy, out of the structural confines of the Cold War strategic framework, has become more expansive in defining its priorities over the last few years. With the rise of its economic and military capabilities and strategic interests, India has shaped a diplomacy that is much more aggressive in the pursuit of those interests. Tracing the trajectory of India's foreign policy in the 21st century, this book examines the factors that have shaped the Indian response towards this emerging international security environment. Including a new Afterword, this updated volume looks at the major influences that have shaped India's foreign policy in recent years, in the context of its engagements with strategically important regions across the globe, and its relations with major global powers. The volume will prove invaluable to those studying politics and international relations, diplomatic and political history, defence and military studies, and South Asian studies."--Publisher's website This book deals with two significant issues: the peculiar and paradoxical question of why regular armies, better suited to fighting conventional high-intensity wars, adopt inappropriate measures when fighting guerilla wars; and the evolution of the Indian army's counterinsurgency doctrine over the last decade. In addition, the book also includes the first detailed analysis of the trajectory of the army's counterinsurgency doctrine, arguing that while it was consolidated only over the last decade, the essential elements of the doctrine may in fact be traced back to the army's first confrontation with the Naga guerillas in the 1950s. It outlines the three essential elements that make up the Indian army's counterinsurgency doctrine: that there are no military solutions to an insurgency; that military force can only help to reduce levels of violence to enable political solutions; and that there should be limited use of military force. Rajagopalan argues that international circumstances — particularly the need to counter conventional military threats from Pakistan and China — led to a counterinsurgency doctrine that had a strong conventional war bias. This bias also conditioned the organisational culture of the Indian army. India's foreign policy, out of the structural confines of the Cold War strategic framework, has become more expansive in defining its priorities over the last few years. With the rise of its economic and military capabilities and strategic interests, India has shaped a diplomacy that is much more aggressive in the pursuit of those interests. Tracing the trajectory of India's foreign policy in the 21st century, this book examines the factors that have shaped the Indian response towards this emerging international security environment. Including a new Afterword, this updated volume looks at the major influences that have shaped India's foreign policy in recent years, in the context of its engagements with strategically important regions across the globe, and its relations with major global powers. The volume will prove invaluable to those studying politics and international relations, diplomatic and political history, defence and military studies, and South Asian studies."--Back cover Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Page Contents Preface 1. Introduction PART I: Major Themes in Indian Foreign Policy 2. India and the Global Balance of Power: A Neorealist Snapshot 3. India and the Emerging Non-Proliferation Order: The Second Nuclear Age 4. India and the Challenge of Global Terrorism: The 'Long War' and Competing Domestic Visions 5. India and Energy Security: A Foreign Policy Priority PART II: India and Major Global Powers 6. India and the US: Embracing a New Paradigm 7. India and China: As China Rises, India Stirs 8. India and Russia: Renewing the Relationship 9. India and the EU: A Long Road Ahead PART III: India's Regional Policy 10. India and South Asia: Towards a Benign Hegemony 11. India and the Middle East: A Re-Assessment of Priorities? 12. India and Central Asia: Part of the New Great Game 13. India and East Asia: A Region 'Rediscovered' Bibliography Notes on Contributors Index