India's Rise as an Asian Power: Nation, Neighborhood, and Region

South Asia in World Affairs

by Sandy Gordon

India's Rise as an Asian Power examines India's rise to power and the obstacles it faces in the context of domestic governance and security, relationships and security issues with its South Asian neighbors, and international relations in the wider Asian region. Instead of a straight-line projection based on traditional measures of power such as population size, economic growth rates, and military spending, Sandy Gordon's nuanced view of India's rise focuses on the need of any rising power to develop the means to deal with challenges in its domestic, neighborhood (South Asia), and regional (continental) spheres.

Terrorism, insurgency, border disputes, and water conflict and shortages are examples of some of India's domestic and regional challenges. Gordon argues that before it can assume the mantle of a genuine Asian power or world power, India must improve its governance and security; otherwise, its economic growth and human development will continue to be hindered and its vulnerabilities may be exploited by competitors in its South Asian neighborhood or the wider region. This book will appeal to students and scholars of India and South Asia, security studies, foreign policy, and comparative politics, as well as country and regional specialists.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 5, 2014

About the author

Sandy (Alexander) Gordon has written widely as an expert on security and intelligence. After completing a PhD at Cambridge, he worked in the Australian Office of National Assessments, and as Executive Director of the Asian Studies Council. More recently, he became Defence Fellow at the Australian National University, then head of intelligence in the Australian Federal Police. Later, he lectured at various universities on South Asian and regional security.
When he finished his last academic book in 2014, he vowed never to write another footnote. Instead he embarked on the imaginative journey of crafting his first novel, a vital chronicle of pivotal changes in Australian society during the second half of the 20th century...