The forgotten history of Indian international relations

What does it mean to speak of an ‘Indian’ approach to international affairs? Indian International Relations (IR) is commonly presented as merely a derivative of ‘western’ disciplinary traditions in Europe and North America. This obscures the vast body of work on political science and international thought that emerged from the beginning of the 20th century amongst South Asian intellectuals, scholars, and activists. This forgotten history forces a reappraisal of the origins, purpose, and vitality of IR in South Asia at this time, revealing a discipline that expanded the purview of IR, offering powerful anti-imperial visions of world order after empire, and establishing the foundations for an independent Indian foreign policy. Contemporary scholars and analysts of Indian international affairs should take note.