This book investigates how the universal promise of international law has been co-opted by the concept of 'development' to legitimize intervention in the Global South. Sundhya Pahuja examines three key historical examples to demonstrate how international law, initially seen as a tool for contesting global inequality, has instead become a mechanism for imposing a specific way of life. The book traces the transformation of post-colonial aspirations into the 'developmental nation-state', the shift from sovereignty over natural resources to the protection of foreign investors, and the contemporary rise of the 'rule of law' as a development strategy. Through this analysis, Pahuja argues that international law has increasingly served to justify intervention in the Third World as the ideal of equality has receded.

The book is recognized for its critical examination of international law's role in global inequality and development. Pahuja's analysis highlights how the concept of 'development' has been used to justify intervention in the Global South, shifting the focus from decolonization to the protection of foreign investment and the 'rule of law' as a strategy. The work is understood as a significant contribution to debates on international legal theory and post-colonial studies, offering a nuanced perspective on the historical evolution of international legal norms and their impact on developing nations.