Nepal and Major Powers in the Himalayas: Small State in International Affairs

by Saroj Kumar Aryal, Manish Jung Pulami

Overview

This book offers a new analysis of small states in international relations from the perspective of Nepal, which lies at a strategic geopolitical position between China and India.

The book argues that Nepal has been in a strategic position between the great powers for many centuries. The departure point of the study has three broader premises. The first is the increasing uncertainty of polarity and power distribution in world politics. This second point is the understudied aspect of the role that small states play in international relations. The final point emphasizes the empirical offering that Nepal can provide to the understanding of the role of small states in great power politics. Exploring the Nepalese way of great power management, the authors provide a wider explanation of the position of small states as geopolitical actors in international relations.

An important perspective on the dynamics of China-India in the changing world order, this study will be of interest to researchers studying geopolitics, international relations, Asian studies and Global Affairs

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781041104919
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/17/2025
Series:	Routledge Studies on Think Asia
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Saroj Kumar Aryal is Assistant Professor at the University of Warsaw, Poland. He is an expert on the South Asian Regional Security Complexities, Foreign Policy of Nepal, Foreign Policy of India and China-India Geopolitical Competition in South Asia.

Manish Jung Pulami is a PhD Researcher at the Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University, Japan. His area of expertise includes Nepal's Foreign Policy, Indo-Pacific and South Asian Geopolitics. 

 

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Framing Small States in International Relations

Chapter 2: Evolution of Nepal as a State

Chapter 3: Nepal as a Small State: In what different ways a state can be small?

Chapter 4: Evolution of Nepal’s Great Power Management: A Case Study of Tibet and British India

Chapter 5: Nepal’s Small State Strategy during Cold War

Chapter 6: Nepal’s Small State Diplomacy in the International Platforms

Chapter 7: Evolution of Small State Strategy for Nepal After the Cold War