Description
Book SynopsisDiplomacy is conventionally understood as an authentic European invention which was internationalised during colonialism. For Indians, the moment of colonial liberation was a false dawn because the colonised had internalised a European logic and performed European practices. Implicit in such a reading is the enduring centrality of Europe to understanding Indian diplomacy. This Eurocentric discourse renders two possibilities impossible: that diplomacy may have Indian origins and that they offer un-theorised potentialities. Abandoning this Eurocentric model of diplomacy, Deep Datta-Ray recognises the legitimacy of independent Indian diplomacy and brings new practices. He creates a conceptual space for Indian diplomacy to exist, forefronting civilisational analysis and its focus on continuities, but refraining from devaluing transformational change.
Trade Review‘A critical resource for scholars and practitioners everywhere as we continue to transition beyond the limitations of a eurocentric world.’ -- The Round Table
'An in-depth discussion of the complexities of a major Third World foreign ministry outside the "Western triad of anarchy-modernity-civilisation." - What sets it apart from most other studies is the way in which the voices of Indian Foreign Service officers interviewed as part of the author's research bring the discussion to life. - A rich, subtle and instructive study.' * William Maley, Director, Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy School of Regulation, Justice and Diplomacy, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific Australian National University *
'This highly original study represents the first examination of Indian foreign policy as the product of a distinctive political culture. It is an important corrective to the allegedly universalistic theories of interest that dominate political analysis of the world outside the West.' * Faisal Devji, St Antony's College, University of Oxford *
'A unique, and very original, take on how Indian diplomacy has been conceived, articulated and operationalised. By linking the present state of Indian diplomacy to the nation's civilisational past, this work debunks many myths and captures the underlying forces driving Indian diplomatic practice better than most recent works on the subject. A must-read for Indian foreign policy practitioners and thinkers alike.' * Harsh V. Pant, Professor of International Relations, King's College London *
