The state at war in South Asia
By: Pradeep P. Barua.
Series: Studies in war, society, and the military
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Published: 2005
Place of publication: Lincoln
Language: eng
Number of pages: 437
Subjects: South Asia -- History, Military.; South Asia -- Politics and government.
Description: "The State at War in South Asia is the first book to cover such a vast period of South Asian military history - more than three thousand years. In doing so, Pradeep P. Barua explores the state's military effectiveness and moves beyond the western and nonwestern dichotomy characterized by most military analysis to date. He leads the reader through a selective study of significant battles, campaigns, and wars fought on the subcontinent. Barua combines this overview with an analysis of the state-building process, showing how the South Asian state has conducted war under its many political guises from the prehistoric and ancient periods to the modern era, with its threat of nuclear war. He challenges the historiographic idea that the Western way of war is superior, while examining in detail those battles, such as the Maratha-Afghan battle of 1763, that offer the most insight into the introduction of new tactics, organization, and technology. This study offers a panoramic view of the evolution of the South Asian state's military system and its contribution to the effectiveness of the state itself."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 385-419) and index.
Table of contents: title: Warfare in prehistoric and classical India; title: Warfare in medieval India; title: The Marathas at Panipat; title: Colonial warfare in Bengal and Mysore; title: Fauj-e-Hind, the army of Hindustan; title: The Anglo-Sikh wars and Pax Britannica; title: The army of the raj; title: The Indian Army during the Second World War; title: Kashmir and the McMahon Line; title: The Second Indo-Pakistan War; title: The Third Indo-Pakistan War; title: Insurgencies, interventions, and high altitude warfare; title: The evolution of a regional military power.