Russia to USA: 10 Must Read Books On India’s Relations With The World

Ever so often, a global crisis throws the spotlight on India’s own relation with other countries. Many reports have said over the years that the nation is a potential superpower, which shares cordial and cooperative relationships with many regions across the world.

To understand how major global events might impact the country, here’s a list of books you can refer to dig deeper into the relationship between India and the rest of the world:

1. Powershift: India–China Relations in a Multipolar World – Zorawar Daulet

India and China’s relationship has seen much debate lately. This book is an attempt at understanding this complex equation, and how both countries are learning to cope with each other’s rise to the world stage. It also provides context for Indians to start thinking more strategically and realistically about their largest neighbour. The author is a foreign affairs analyst based in New Delhi and an adjunct fellow with the Institute of Chinese Studies.

Buy the book here.

2. The Fractured Himalaya: India Tibet China 1949-1962 – Nirupama Rao

The early years of India-China relationship, The Sino-Indian war of 1962, and the author’s deep personal knowledge of China, where she served as India’s Ambassador, form the crux of this book. It also looks into the strategic dilemma posed by Tibet in relations between India and China, and the involvement of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and the 14th Dalai Lama.

Buy the book here.

3. India Vs UK: The Story of an Unprecedented Diplomatic Win – Syed Akbaruddin

India and the United Kingdom have been on opposing sides on numerous occasions. The 2017 election for a seat on the International Court of Justice was one such instance. The book widely explores this competence of both countries. The author is Syed Akbaruddin, a retired Indian Foreign Service officer who served as India’s permanent representative at the United Nations.

Buy the book here.

4. The New Dimensions of India – Russia Relations – Surendra Singh

Relations between India and the Russian Federation during the first decade after the disintegration of the Soviet Union form the crux of the book. Major subjects dealt with include third-millennium India-Russian strategic cooperation, partnership, phases and future of India-Russia defence, economic relations, trade relations, nuclear, marine science and technology cooperation. The author is a PhD holder in political science.

Buy the book here.

5. Nehru, Tibet and China – AS Bhasin

The book analyses the events from 1949 to the Indo-China war in 1962, and its aftermath in detail. It also discusses in detail the role played by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru during this period, as well as India’s failure to arrive at a solution for the dispute. The author, Avtar Singh Bhasin, is a historian.

Buy the book here.

6. Choices – Shivshankar Menon

The book explains negotiations, discussions, and assessments that went into the making of five pivotal choices in the recent foreign policy of India. These ‘choices’ include Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war, the decision to not use overt military force against Pakistan after the 26/11, the civil nuclear deal with the United States, border agreement with China, and the thinking that underlay India’s No First Use nuclear policy. The author is a diplomat who served as the foreign secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Buy the book here.

7. Politics And Geopolitics: Decoding India’s Neighbourhood Challenge – Harsh Pant

Key topics include the South Asia policy of India and the ‘Neighbourhood First’ approach of the Narendra Modi government. The book is a compilation that provides a clear cut view of India’s neighbourhood challenge. The author is the director of research at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi and a professor of international relations at King’s College London.

Buy the book here.

8. A Matter of Trust: India-US Relations from Truman to Trump – Meenakshi Ahamed

The book explains the personal prejudices and insecurities of the leaders and the political imperatives that so often cast a shadow over the relationship between both countries. The author puts together many presidential papers, newly declassified documents, memoirs, and interviews with officials directly involved in events on both sides. She is a freelance journalist from Kolkata.

Buy the book here.

9. The Comrades And The Mullahs: China, Afghanistan and the New Asian Geopolitics by Ananth Krishnan and Stanly Johny

The book deals with the emergence of China as a key player in Afghanistan and the evolution of China’s Afghan policy, with a focus on its relations with the Taliban. The role of the Silk Road project and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in shaping China-Afghan relations is also looked at. Ananth Krishnan and Stanly Johny work for The Hindu as Beijing correspondent and foreign editor, respectively.

Buy the book here.

10. Fateful Triangle – Tanvi Madan

The book tries to understand the diplomatic history of US-India relations, highlighting China’s central role in it. It also explains the origins and practice of Indian foreign policy and non-alignment with a historical context to the interactions between the three countries. Tanvi Madan is a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She specialises in Indian foreign policy.

Buy the book here.

(Edited by Divya Sethu)

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