Locating Russia In The Emerging Geopolitics Of Central Asia Mapping Indias Options

Abstract

iv newlineABSTRACT newlineLocating Russia in the Emerging Geopolitics of Central Asia: Mapping newlineIndia s Options newlineName of student: Mudasir Mubarik newlineRegistration number: CUP/MPhil-Ph.D/SGR/SCA/2011-12/05 newlineDegree for which submitted: Doctor of Philosophy newlineName of Supervisor: Dr. Bawa Singh newlineName of Centre: Centre for South and Central Asian Studies newlineName of School: School of Global Relations newlineRussia s relationship with the Central Asian region has been established since newlinethe recorded history. The former had colonized the region and established its exclusive newlinecontrol for more than 200 years. India on the other hand, had been sharing long newlinehistorical and civilizational bonds with the region as it has been falling on the old Silk newlineRoute. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991) and the subsequent newlineemergence of Central Asian countries as sovereign states led to a saga of drastic newlinechanges in the geopolitical milieu of the region. Russia had lost its superpower status, newlineas it had been entrapped in political, economic and security conundrum. Consequently, newlineRussia had altogether ignored the CARs and drifted towards the West and newlinesupranational institutions to restore its state machinery. Thus, the former had adopted newlinea passive approach towards the latter in response to the Euro-Atlantic tilt that had newlinedrastically impacted the bilateral and regional engagements. On the other hand, India s newlineengagements with Russia and the Central Asia had undergone a paradigmatic shift. In newlinethis milieu, power vacuum was created in Eurasia that led to New Great Game in the newlineregion, which again obligated both Russia and India to engage with the Central Asian newlineregion given their multifaceted interests at stake. newlineGiven the geopolitical, geostrategic and geo-economic significance of the newlineCentral Asia as well as the power vacuum left by the Soviet retreat, enticed the major newlinepowers and regional actors towards this region. Indeed, the interests of the US, China, newlineTurkey, Iran, India, and Pakistan, have been counterpoising with each other to enhance newlinetheir respective influence. The ba