Author Description
Diplomacy 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.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
Does Indian diplomacy possess authentic, indigenous origins that exist independently of European colonial frameworks? Deep K. Datta-Ray, an expert in international relations and civilizational analysis, challenges the prevailing Eurocentric narrative that views diplomacy solely as a Western invention exported through colonialism. By critiquing the internalization of European logic in post-colonial Indian statecraft, the author proposes a new conceptual framework that acknowledges Indian agency and historical continuity in diplomatic practice.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A critique of Eurocentric discourse in international relations theory.
- A civilizational analysis of Indian diplomatic practices.
- Theoretical arguments for the legitimacy of non-Western diplomatic origins.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide a comprehensive chronological history of every Indian diplomatic event.
- It does not focus on contemporary geopolitical policy analysis or current foreign affairs strategy.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and critics frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's rigorous challenge to traditional international relations paradigms. Experts highlight this as a significant contribution to post-colonial theory and the study of non-Western diplomatic history.
Page Count:
256
Publication Date:
2015-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190612959
ISBN-13:
9780190612955
History
Diplomacy
International relations
Indian History