A Region in Turmoil
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A Region in Turmoil: South Asian Conflicts since 1947 is a scholarly nonfiction book written by Rob Johnson and published by
Reaktion Books Reaktion Books is an independent book publisher based in Islington, London, England. It was founded in 1985 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and moved to London in 1987. Reaktion originally focused on the fields of art, architecture, and design. In rece ...
, London, in 2005.
ProQuest ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...


Synopsis

John H. Gill, reviewing this book for
The Journal of Military History ''The Journal of Military History'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering the military history of all times and places. It is the official journal of the Society for Military History. The journal was established in 1937 and the ed ...
, defines the region of
South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...
as encompassing a territory that extends from
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
to
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
. He says the author also includes
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
(present day
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
) to enable discussion of border concerns it has with India. Gill also says, the author further elaborates on other issues pertaining to this smaller region. Gill additionally observes that the author maintains an objective, but not sterile narration. The book overviews the numerous conflicts that have occurred in the region since the British withdrawal after World War II. In doing so, this overview outlines the interconnections between the forms of volatile conflicts; the roots of the tensions and disputes, including religion, ethnic tension, ideology, and historical experiences; while also connecting the results. This method allows the author to portray the diverse settings for violent behavior in this southern region. This approach illuminates the complex interrelations that are involved. Thus, this book is a comparative study of the parallels drawn from the variety of conflicts occurring since 1947. These conflicts share a common methodology including "armed confrontations, insurrections, communal riots, insurgencies, acts of terrorism, and wars." The nations involved are: India,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
, and Myanmar. Also, global influences impact this region in the form of "conflicts, insurgency, terror, and peace making." Such influences also result in diasporas but the effects of nationalism from abroad are not covered.


Reception

The critique of this work is mixed. For instance, R.D. Long writing for Choice says, "Johnson has provided a sophisticated and informative analysis. Summing Up: Highly recommended." However, John H. Gill, of The Journal of Military History, among other criticisms says "...the narrative traverses the broad features of South Asia's political-diplomatic and military history rather erratically without giving sufficient focus to the themes raised in the introduction." He also says the book introduces errors in some of the events it covers.


Chapters

Below are the titles of the book chapters: Distributed for
Reaktion Books Reaktion Books is an independent book publisher based in Islington, London, England. It was founded in 1985 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and moved to London in 1987. Reaktion originally focused on the fields of art, architecture, and design. In rece ...
.
# The significance of conflicts in South Asia # Conflicts in India # Conflicts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Myanmar # Global influences on South Asian conflicts # The Kashmir dispute, 1947-2004 # The India-China conflict of 1962 # The India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, and the Bangladesh war of independence # Afghanistan : the Soviet occupation, 1979–89 # Afghanistan : the Civil War, 1989-2001 # Insurgency, terror and peace-making # Conclusion : points of conflict in South Asia


See also

* '' The American War in Afghanistan: A History'' (2021 Oxford University Press, 2021) by
Carter Malkasian Carter Malkasian (born 1975) is a historian and former adviser to American military commanders in Afghanistan. Career Malkasian earned a doctorate in military history from the University of Oxford, where he studied under Robert O'Neill. After com ...
. * '' Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia'' (Yale University Press, 2000), by
Ahmed Rashid Ahmed Rashid (Urdu:; born 1948 in Pakistan) is a journalist and best-selling foreign policy author of several books about Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia. Life and career Ahmed Rashid was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He attended Malv ...
. * Sumit Ganguly Professor of Political Science at Indiana University. * Partition of India


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Region in Turmoil British non-fiction books 2005 non-fiction books Books about Asia Books about Afghanistan Books about Bangladesh Books about Sri Lanka Books about Nepal Books about Myanmar Books about Pakistan Books about India Military history of Asia Books about war Books about terrorism English-language books