Foundations of India's foreign policy

The present work has been designed to serve this object by taking the attention back to a formative period of Indian history, wherein the problem of dealing with the countries on the borders came to the forefront. India was then part of the British Empire
and, inevitably, Imperial interests governed the character of these relationships. In the mid-nineteenth century Asia was
the field of conflict of interests between the empires of Britain and Russia. The danger of India being enveloped by the
expanding Russian imperialism was entertained by many, and therefore, plans and means were devised to counteract it. Poli-
cies, forward or backward, were put forth, but whatever might have been the brand, these implied in essence the control of
foreign relations of the neig-hbouring weak states of Central Asia, Afghanistan, Kalat and Sinkiang being the chief among- them.
This lasted till the beg-inning of the present century when the temporary settlement between England and Russia eased the
tension between the rival imperialisms and thereby prepared the way for a reorientation of policy. In the period after the First
World War, when organisations for international peace were devised, India's foreign relations transcended the immediate
circle of neighbouring states and embraced a wider field. But not till 1947 were these policies in any manner independent of
the policies or interests of the United Kingdom. However, Indian public opinion, and particularly the Indian National
Congress, after 1930, grew interested in foreign affairs and certain fundamental principles emerg-ed in that period which were likely
to be reflected in the foreign policy as adopted after independence.