Since its independence in 1991 Tajikistan has suffered a painful series of political crises followed by a civil war, still continuing, whose repercussions extend far beyond its borders. This work examines the causes of the turmoil, and analyses, through the case of Tajikistan, social and political dynamics at work throughout Central Asia. The book is the work of eleven Central Asian experts from different disciplinary backgrounds, and provides new insight into questions as varied as clan and local identity, the political construction of ethnicity and the role of peacekeeping forces.

Since its independence in 1991, Tajikstan has suffered a series of political crises followed by a civil war, whose repercussions extend far beyond its borders. This work examines the causes of the turmoil, and analyzes, through the case of Tajikstan, social and political dynamics at work through Central Asia. It offers insight into questions as varied as clan and local identity, the political construction of ethnicity and the role of peacekeeping forces. The first part deals with the difficulty of building a national identity. It traces the slow and incomplete creation of Tajikstan during the Soviet period, assesses "perestroika's" unsettling effect on local power balances, and discusses the struggle between the old oligarchy and the new elites which have tried to emerge since independence. The second part deals with foreign influences on the conflict, with studies of the roles of Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Uzbekistan, as well as the potential impact of the conflict on the stability of the rest of Central Asia. The third part examines the traumatic humanitarian and human rights consequences of Tajikstan's fall from the tightrope of post-Soviet transition.

This book analyses the emergence of the Indian Ocean as security complex and a strategic space of central importance and also looks at its prospective future. As well as US-China rivalry, the India-China rivalry is now the defining factor in the Indian Ocean - irrespective of the strategic asymmetry. This new situation has opened a space for middle-powers, old and new, to intervene. The authors argue that this situation may turn into an additional source of instability and that the creation of an inclusive and comprehensive regional security architecture, as well as the strengthening of regional multilateralism, should be the priority of all stakeholders in the coming decade.

This book analyses the emergence of the Indian Ocean as security complex and a strategic space of central importance and also looks at its prospective future. As well as US-China rivalry, the India-China rivalry is now the defining factor in the Indian Ocean - irrespective of the strategic asymmetry. This new situation has opened a space for middle-powers, old and new, to intervene. The authors argue that this situation may turn into an additional source of instability and that the creation of an inclusive and comprehensive regional security architecture, as well as the strengthening of regional multilateralism, should be the priority of all stakeholders in the coming decade.

India Turns East tells the story of India's long and difficult journey to reclaim its status in a rapidly changing Asian environment increasingly shaped by the USChina rivalry and the uncertainties of US commitment to Asia's security. Launched by then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao in 1992, the Look East policy initially aimed at reconnecting India with Asia's economic globalisation. As China became more assertive, Look East rapidly evolved into a comprehensive strategy with political and military dimensions and, in the past decade, has begun to attract US attention. Frederic Grare argues that, despite this rapprochement, the congruence of Indian and US objectives regarding China is not absolute. The two countries share similar concerns, but differ in their tactics as well as their thoughts about the role China should play in the emerging regional architecture. Moreover, though bilateral US policies are usually perceived positively in New Delhi, paradoxically, the multilateral dimensions of the US Rebalance to Asia policy sometimes pushes New Delhi closer to Beijing's positions than to Washington's. This important new book explores some of the possible ways out of India's 'Eastern' dilemma.