Skip to main content

Distributed for Reaktion Books

A Region in Turmoil

South Asian Conflicts since 1947

South Asia has been the setting for some of the century’s most violent invasions, the Western world’s bloodiest defeats, and a volatile geopolitical brew of religions, ethnicities, and nationalism that sends unsettling ripples through the global balance of power even today. Rob Johnson writes here the engrossing history of the individual conflicts that have engulfed the states of South Asia during the last half century.

A Region in Turmoil offers a new perspective on the area, drawing together the conflicts of South Asia and examining them in local and global contexts, from the end of the Western colonial empires through today’s global efforts to combat terrorism. Johnson’s incisive analysis breaks down the historical and political roots of the conflicts and departs from traditional Western-centric paradigms to reveal heretofore overlooked South Asian viewpoints on the conflicts and connections among the wars. He probes the causes, contexts, and conclusions of the conflicts, ranging from the enduring insurgency in Myanmar to the struggle of the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, the unrest in the Punjab and Assam states, the Bangladeshi war of independence, and the intractable struggles in Kashmir and Afghanistan.

The twenty-first century opened with South Asia front and center on a turbulent political stage: the region is not only the designated frontline for the "war on terror" but also home to the newest nuclear powers, India and Pakistan. A Region in Turmoil addresses this critical contemporary crisis with an invaluable analysis of the region and its complex history, making it essential reading for historians, policymakers, and anyone who reads the front page of the daily newspaper.

Distribution by the University of Chicago Press only to customers in the USA and Canada. Customers elsewhere should visit the UK website of Reaktion Books.


272 pages | 5 1/2 x 8 1/5 | © 2005

Contemporary Worlds

Asian Studies: Southeast Asia and Australia

History: Military History


Reaktion Books image

View all books from Reaktion Books

Reviews

"A variety of causes contribute to the continuing militarism of the region . . . and this book is good on the complexities of various situations. Johnson has provided a sophisticated and informative analysis. Highly recommended."

R. D. Long | Choice

Table of Contents

1. The significance of conflicts in South Asia
2. Conflicts in India
3. Conflicts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Myanmar
4. Global influences on South Asian conflicts
5. The Kashmir dispute, 1947-2004
6. The India-China conflict of 1962
7. The India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, and the Bangladesh war of independence
8. Afghanistan : the Soviet occupation, 1979-89
9. Afghanistan : the Civil War, 1989-2001
10. Insurgency, terror and peace-making
11. Conclusion : points of conflict in South Asia

Be the first to know

Get the latest updates on new releases, special offers, and media highlights when you subscribe to our email lists!

Sign up here for updates about the Press