In this first comprehensive history of India's secret Cold War, Paul McGarr tells the story of Indian politicians, human rights activists, and journalists as they fought against or collaborated with members of the British and US intelligence services. The interventions of these agents have had a significant and enduring impact on the political and social fabric of South Asia. The spectre of a 'foreign hand', or external intelligence activity, real and imagined, has occupied a prominent place in India's political discourse, journalism, and cultural production. Spying in South Asia probes the nexus between intelligence and statecraft in South Asia and the relationships between agencies and governments forged to promote democracy. McGarr asks why, in contrast to Western assumptions about surveillance, South Asians associate intelligence with covert action, grand conspiracy, and justifications for repression? In doing so, he uncovers a fifty-year battle for hearts and minds in the Indian subcontinent.

‘Spying in South Asia is a major contribution to the international history of the twentieth century. The scale of the research is awe-inspiring, the arguments are compelling and the narrative is gripping. This is a masterly piece of work.’

Richard J. Aldrich - University of Warwick

‘This eye-opening book is an exceptional contribution to the international history of South Asia, and to the field of intelligence studies. As well as lifting the lid on the work of the Western intelligence agencies in India during the Cold War using meticulous and groundbreaking documentary research, McGarr illuminates in elegant prose the cultural and political ramifications of their clandestine interventions.’

Matthew Jones - London School of Economics and Political Science

‘An absolutely riveting account that charts the activities of British and American intelligence in post-colonial India. Full of anecdotes and analytical insights, McGarr highlights the crucial importance of the Global South and of non-aligned states in the great espionage game after the Second World War.’

Michael S. Goodman - King’s College London

‘Spying in South Asia is a significant contribution that foregrounds intelligence histories against the backdrop of the many cold wars that unfolded in the subcontinent. It is a must-read!’

Jayita Sarkar - University of Glasgow, author of Ploughshares and Swords