About the Book

Several books have been written on the foreign policy of India, particularly of the Nehru period. Some authors have also discussed in detail the determining factors and fundamental principles of this policy. However, few have emphasised predominance of the economic factor as a determinant, which plays the most important part in determining foreign policy not only of India but of other countries as well.

The essence of this book is to stress the paramount importance of this factor which determined the material as well as the intellectual life of the country at that time and found expression in internal and the external policies of the country. While emphasising the significance of the economic factor, the importance of other factors has not been ignored. 

The author has chosen to limit himself to the Nehru period because it was then that our foreign policy was shaped, formulated and implemented. India, inspite of her other weaknesses, commanded respect and eminence in world affairs and was one of the prominent leaders of emerging Afro-Asian countries. The policy that Nehru propounded and enforced was followed by his immediate successors Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi. From 1991 onwards, the change in the economic fundamentals started taking shape, resulting in basic changes in the foreign policy also.

About the Author

Born in Jhansi, the author postgraduated in political science from Agra University. In 1951, he joined the Department of Political Science in Bundelkhand College, Jhansi, and spent over three decades in that institution. There he developed a special interest in international politics and political thought. He pursued this interest even after retirement in 1987 as a Reader and Head of Department of Political Science.

He has travelled extensively to Soviet Union, German Democratic Republic, Federal Republic of Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, China and many western countries. He is deeply interested in social and political activities and has been associated with many educational and professional institutions. He is the author of several books – Constitution of the Soviet Union, Chetna, Antarashtriya Rajniti Ka Vigyan and others.