Identifying levels, structures and agency in post-cold war Indian foreign policy

A narrative of India’s foreign policy would unambiguously outline its ascendance as a deserving major power in world politics. A theoretical, structure-agency reading of foreign policy however reveals a complex interplay of factors behind India’s rise; evolving material capabilities and power, and n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista UNISCI 2019-01, Vol.17 (49), p.15-28
Main Authors: Chatterjee, Shibashis, Maitra, Sreya
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agency
Cold War
Foreign Policy
Global
Ideational
India
International relations
Leadership
Politics
Power
State
Structure
System
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Summary:A narrative of India’s foreign policy would unambiguously outline its ascendance as a deserving major power in world politics. A theoretical, structure-agency reading of foreign policy however reveals a complex interplay of factors behind India’s rise; evolving material capabilities and power, and normative and ideational forces. From its inception as a sovereign state, India envisioned itself as a great power even though there were considerable obstacles to this. Despite India’s meteoric rise in the post 1998 period, it has not succeeded in translating its material preponderance into either strategic consensus or astute leadership of the sub-continent. The chief argument of this article is that India serves as a test case for the foreign policy of a state being compulsorily structured by the complex interaction of systemic forces on one hand, and agential actions on the other.
ISSN:2386-9453
2386-9453
DOI:10.31439/UNISCI-31