Scholars of international relations, political thought, and India's international and diplomatic history are increasingly interested in the relevance of non-alignment in Indian foreign policy. The origins of such policies and debates can be traced back to Nehru's conceptualization of non-alignment at the height of the Cold War. In this deeply researched study of his years as Prime Minister, 1947–64, Swapna Kona Nayudu utilizes archival research in multiple languages to uncover Indian diplomatic influence in four major international events: the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, the Hungarian Revolution, and the Congo Crisis. Through this detailed examination, she explores the contested meaning of non-alignment, a policy almost unique in its ambiguity and its centrality to a nation's political life. The resulting history is a thoughtful critique of India's diplomatic position as the only non-aligned founding member of the UN.

‘A compelling argument about non-alignment as a powerfully original mode of considering and reshaping international order. Rather than a way of avoiding Cold War antagonisms in negative fashion, Nayudu demonstrates how Indian ideas and practices of non-alignment constituted a positive and sophisticated vision of the world and its political future.'

Faisal Devji - University of Oxford

‘This book is a refreshingly original treatment of non-alignment. It eloquently rescues non-alignment from the confines of Cold War historiography. Nayudu embeds non-alignment in a larger ethical vision that is deeply engaged with questions of war and politics. The book also connects non-alignment to a politics of anti-colonial resistance, that was creatively trying to align the imperatives of national self-determination with a more cosmopolitan vision. It is wonderfully written, and will become vital to all discussions of Nehru's vision of international order.'

Pratap Mehta - Princeton University

‘This book is an excellent, long-overdue reassessment of the ideas and practice of nonalignment in independent India's engagement with the postwar international order. Conceptually sophisticated and empirically rich, it is a seamless blend of intellectual and international history. A must-read for anyone interested in Indian foreign policy as well as the age of decolonization.'

Srinath Raghavan - Ashoka University

‘Swapna Kona Nayudu has produced an impressive new book on a history of Indian non-alignment. She is a meticulous and thoughtful scholar, whose work is based on an exhaustive archival research, and grounded in her extensive knowledge of Nehru. Her contributions to the field are considerable.'

Naoko Shimazu - University of Tokyo

‘The Nehru Years is especially valuable regarding Congo, where India, improbably, led a push at the United Nations to forcefully unify the newly independent country. Whereas the Non-Aligned Movement died with the Cold War, nonalignment lives on in Indian thinking. At a time when the idea is under attack, this book is a powerful reminder of what genuine leadership and internationalism look like.‘

Pratap Bhanu Mehta Source: Foreign Affairs