India's Rise as an Asian Power: Nation, Neighborhood, and Region

Gordon's book examines India's rise and the obstacles to it at three levels: domestic governance and security, South Asian relationships and security, and its wider Asian international relations beyond its neighborhood. Rather than assessing India's rise according to a straight-line projection based on traditional measures of power such as population size, economic growth rates, and military spending, Gordon provides a nuanced view based on the need of any rising power to develop the means to deal with challenges in its domestic, neighborhood (South Asia), and regional (continental) spheres. Before India can assume the mantle of a genuine Asian power or world power, it needs to create better governance and be more secure. Terrorism, insurgency, border disputes, and water conflict and shortages are examples of some of these challenges. Poor governance and domestic unrest will continue to hinder economic growth and human development, and if India is not secure in its South Asian neighborhood, this vulnerability will be exploited by competitors.