A Postcolonial Mapping of Indian IR Origins: International Thought and the State

How can the postcolonial thought bring to light the development of International Political Thinking in India? In this article we argue that the development of the Indian thinking about foreign affairs was limited not only by the British colonial administration but also by the sense of nationhood created by the liberation movement - especially under Nehru. Most of the literature addressing Indian international thought focuses on how Nehru centred the thinking of postcolonial Indian foreign affairs. Using Bhabha's ideas, we explore this essential part of India's nation-building, mapping out the origins of Indian IR through a postcolonial. The paper contributes to knowledge on post-Western IR and postcolonial literature, while reconceptualising ideas of nationhood as they have been applied to the development of Indian international thought. Beyond the thinking about the international, our contribution has broad relevance for understanding how colonialism has affected the political, economic and intellectual development of former colonial states.