India-China Boundary Problem 1846-1947: History and Diplomacy

Description

India-China Boundary Problem discusses the origins and development of India's boundary dispute with China. It examines several important aspects such as the areas of dispute, differing schools of thought, treaties, agreements, and conventions, role of the bureaucracy, and peace processes, together with an analysis of earlier attempts at drawing a boundary line. The author highlights the gaps in the understanding of the boundary problem and how it affected India's negotiation process. The book is illustrated with maps and contains appendices listing all important treaties and conventions. Abstract: Boundary issues have always occupied a central focus in the relations between India and China. Highlighting the role of history, policy, and diplomacy, this book traces the origins and development of the India–China boundary problem during the British Raj. It shows how British efforts to secure a defined boundary in the western sector began immediately after the creation of Jammu & Kashmir in 1846. However, in the eastern sector, such an exercise began only sixty-five years later, when a Chinese threat was perceived. Examining the role of the bureaucracy and diplomatic negotiations, the author presents a nuanced analysis of the treaties and conventions, as well as internal debates between British officials on conflicting policies. Breaking new ground, this book evaluates the relevance of the Indian Independence Act, 1947, and explains how the diplomatic history in the last hundred years shaped the boundary problem between India and China. What was a problem aggravated into a dispute that erupted in 1959. The central thesis is that history had direct relevance to the shaping of a sound policy. 35_Noorani_Index