South Asia in World Politics

By (author) Devin T. Hagerty Contributions by Craig Baxter, Jonah Blank, Maya Chadda, Herbert G. Hagerty, Timothy D. Hoyt, Gaurav Kampani, Peter R. Lavoy, Swarna Rajagopalan, Anupam Srivastava, David Taylor, Robert G. Wirsing

Not available to order

Publication date:

11 March 2005

Length of book:

336 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781461643456

South Asia in World Politics offers a comprehensive introduction to the politics and international relations of South Asia, a key area encompassing the states of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. While U.S. interest has long been sporadic and reactive, 9/11 alerted Washington that paying only fitful attention to one of the world's most volatile and populous regions was a recipe for everyday instability, repeated international crises, major and minor wars, and conditions so chronically unsettled that they continue to provide a fertile breeding ground for transnational Islamic terrorism. Exploring the many facets of this dynamic region, the book also assesses U.S. policy toward Afghanistan and explains the importance of Bangladesh and Pakistan, two of only a handful of Islamic states with significant track records as democracies.

Chapter 1 South Asia Chronology
Chapter 2 Introduction: South Asia in World Politics
Part 3 Part I: The Actors and Their Interests
Chapter 4 India's Foreign Relations
Chapter 5 Pakistan's Foreign Relations
Chapter 6 Bangladesh's Foreign Relations
Chapter 7 South Asia's Small States in World Politics
Chapter 8 The Reconstitution and Reconstruction of Afghanistan
Chapter 9 Great-Power Foreign Policies in South Asia
Part 10 Part II: International Issue Areas
Chapter 11 Kashmir and India-Pakistan Nuclear Issues
Chapter 12 International Dimensions of Ethnic Conflict
Chapter 13 Religion and Politics
Chapter 14 Democratization and Development
Chapter 15 Globalization and Economic Liberalization
Chapter 16 The War on Terrorism: Implications for South Asia

South Asia's new relevance to the twin scourges of nuclear proliferation and terrorism are comprehensively addressed in this remarkable new text, but so are the region's positive features: the expansion of democracy, the management of incredible ethnic diversity, and the rapid economic growth of its most important state, India. This volume will be of enormous value to students and academics seeking an introduction to this hitherto ignored region—senior policymakers would benefit as well from the wisdom to be found in these pages.