India country report - Essay Example

The historical development of India, as related to the country’s foreign relations is examined in this paper. The study of the literature published in this field has revealed that the role of India in the development of social and economic life in Asia has been critical. However, its political and social systems have suffered from severe conflicts, probably due to the inability of governors to respond to the daily needs of population. On the other hand, it has been made clear that the prospects of the country for the future are significant.

Moreover, in terms of foreign relations, the country has become a key player in the development of important economic and political decisions globally. The history of India is based on a series of elements, such as the size of the country, the local caste system, the use of local religious beliefs for political reasons and the Indian identity, as it has been alternated today (Walsh 13). India is the largest country, in terms of its size, of Southeast Asia (Walsh 2006). In terms of geography, the country occupies a critical region, being a crossroad between the East Asia and the West.

The strategic position of the country, as of its geographical characteristics, has been traditionally used for the development of important political decisions. . Being surrounded by regions with different cultural and religious characteristics, India had to face severe social and political turbulences, leading even to the limitation of its territory, referring especially to the establishment of the state of modern Pakistan. At the same time, India is ‘the second most populous country, after China’ (Walsh 13).

The development of the country’s urban life has been gradual; the development of a variety of communities across the country, as explained below, led to the appearance of many different dialects, about 16 (Walsh 13). As in all countries worldwide, the integrity of the country, as a member of the international community, has been secured through ‘a set of cultural and ethical assumptions common to people across the country’ (Walsh 2006). The caste system has been a significant part of India’s history.

The system is based on categorization of people in accordance with their profession and their social class (Walsh 2006). The development of ‘unchanged villages of rural India’ (Walsh 15) has been the result of the expansion of caste system within the Indian social life. As for the country’s religious framework, this incorporates a series of different religions, such as Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christianity (Walsh 16). The differentiations in regard to the country’s religious system, have led to severe social conflicts; the above phenomenon has been also be used by politicians for the promotion of particular ideas.

In other words, in India, oppositions in regard to religion have supported political interests (Walsh 2006). When referring to the history of India, particular reference should be made to the history of community, which can be