If anything we have learnt from the recent India-China conflict, it’s the simple fact that we understand very little about it. These two are ancient civilisations and their relationship is as old and as complicated as the history behind them. So, if you are planning to read and grasp this subject thoroughly, we suggest you to read the following books based on the different contexts:
Historical and Philosophical:
Any intellectual exercise involving great civilisations cannot be pursued without understanding the philosophical underpinnings. From a western perspective, India and China represent two components of eastern traditions – which might as well be true – but there are quite a number of subtle variations in their philosophy. Following books will help you learn those similarities and differences better:
A Comparative History of Ideas by Hajime Nakamura
Eastern Philosophy by Kevin Burns
Eastern Religions and Western Thought by S. Radhakrishnan
Wars:
Although the two countries have rarely locked horns in their long histories, ever since the independence of India and the communist revolution in China (both events taking place in the middle of 20th century), these two have come in conflict quite frequently. The most notable was the war in 1962. The books below will give you a detailed analysis of these military conflicts:
India’s China War by Neville Maxwell
China’s India War by Bertil Lintner
1962: The War That Wasn’t by Shiv Kunal Verma
Himalayan Blunder by John Dalvi
Politics and International Affairs:
The main driver is the politics – or geopolitics in this case – as it always is, isn’t it? Let’s explore this with the help of following books:
War and Peace in Modern India by Srinath Raghavan
India-China Relations by Jagannath P. Panda
China-India Relations by Amardeep Athwal
It’s going to be a long course. We hope that you will have a good time. In case you have any concerns regarding this or want to add something to the conversation, feel free to write to us.
Kalampedia 