Introduction: The Model Neighbour If India’s neighbourhood policy has a success story, it is Bhutan. Amid a periphery marked by suspicion, disputes and Chinese inroads, the India–Bhutan relationship stands out as remarkably stable, warm and free of serious friction. The two are often described as ‘all-weather friends’. This closeness rests on an unusual combination: deep…
Introduction No dimension of India’s foreign policy is as consequential—or as difficult—as its relationship with its immediate neighbours. India sits at the geographical and civilizational core of South Asia, sharing land or maritime boundaries with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Afghanistan. Its size, population, economy and central location mean…
Understanding the Idea: What is a Middle Power? International politics is not a society of equals. States sit in an unwritten hierarchy of power. At the top are the great powers (or superpowers) with global military and economic reach. At the bottom are small powers with limited influence beyond their borders. Between these two lie…
Introduction Foreign policy is the organised expression of a nation’s national interest in its dealings with the outside world. For India, it is not an accident of 1947 but the product of a long civilisational continuity — a blend of ancient statecraft, the experience of colonial subjugation, the idealism of the freedom struggle, and the…
Why do we Study Theory in International Relations? International Relations (IR) is the study of how nation-states, international institutions, and non-state actors interact within a system that has no single authority above them. Because the same event — a war, a treaty, a trade deal — can be explained in radically different ways, we need…
Why History Matters in International Relations International Relations (IR) studies how states interact within an international state system and the historical, political and socio-economic consequences of that interaction. Because history and politics are deeply interlinked, the study of the past equips us with the background and context needed to make sense of the present. It…
This chapter is the glossary-foundation of the whole subject —read every term before proceeding. Try to retain the technical terms exactly. Basic Terms of International Relations Term Meaning Anti-ballistic Missile A two-component system — a radar + an interceptor missile — that defends a designated target against an incoming enemy missile. Accidental War Two senses:…
See — before we memorise treaties and doctrines, ask one question: what is the ‘state’, and why does it sit at the centre of everything in IR? The state is not a gift of nature; it is a man-made ‘construct’. Once you see how it evolved — from a frightened band of hunter-gatherers to the…
