Abstract
It was only after the end of the Cold War and structural changes in international political order that India started to look at Saudi Arabia differently, and a meaningful shift towards the kingdom began in 2001 when then foreign minister Jaswant Singh visited Riyadh and met with senior Saudi leaders. This was the shift that gave momentum to bilateral relations for over a decade when trade and commerce and energy security became the mainstay in Indo-Saudi ties.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The treatment of Hindus as people of the book is complicated. Historically Muslim dynasties in India treated them as dhimmis primarily due to political and administrative considerations but despite this, the ulema has refused to accept them as People of the Book due to theological incompatibility between the Abrahamic faith and polytheistic Hinduism.
- 2.
The first Majlis al-Shura with a four-year term was established in 1993 and 30 female members were appointed only in 2013 when the strength of the council was increased from 120 to 150.
- 3.
However, this was not the first time a serving police officer was appointed as ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and in 1968 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent the then Director General of Tamil Nadu Police T. T. P. Abdullah to Riyadh and he was renominated in May 1981 for another term.
- 4.
In the past, the Congress party has been accused of appeasing the Muslim population for electoral considerations.
- 5.
Accompanied by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in September 2017, Modi visited the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque in September 2017, built in 1573. This was the first time Modi had visited a mosque in India as prime minister (Amrita Ray 2017).
References
Boulden, L. H. (1996). India may build “turnkey” chemical plan in Iran. Arms Control Today, 26(5), 26.
Chakrabarty, B. (2006). Forging Power: Coalition Politics in India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Crane, K., Goldthau, A., Toman, M., Light, T., Johnson, S. E., Nader, A., … Dogo, H. (2009). Imported Oil and U.S. National Security. Washington, DC: Rand Corporation.
Evans, D. (1992, February 7). Desert Storm Filled Soviet Military with Awe. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-02-07/news/9201120109_1_soviet-report-reconnaissance-strike-military-force
Evans, H., Buckland, G., & Baker, K. (1998). The American Century. New York, NY: Alfred A Knopf.
Express Web Desk. (2016a, April 8). Navratri begins, PM Narendra Modi to have just fruits for nine days. The Indian Express. Retrieved from http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/narendra-modi-fast-navratri-2016-gudi-padwa/
Express Web Desk. (2016b, October 31). Perpetrators and masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The Indian Express. Retrieved from http://indianexpress.com/article/26-11/timeline/perpetrators-and-masterminds-of-the-2611-mumbai-terror-attacks/
Fair, C. C., Roshandel, J., Dasgupta, S., & Kumaraswamy, P. R. (2004). The “Strategic Partnership” between India and Iran (Asia Program Special Report No. 120). Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson Center. Retrieved from https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/asia_rpt_120rev_0.pdf
Fukuyama, F. (1989). The end of history. The National Interest, (16), 3–18.
Gopal, N. (2017, August 31). Clash of civilisations: Can India play mediator between Iran and Saudi? Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved from http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/310817/clash-of-civilisations-can-india-play-mediator-between-iran-and-saudi.html
Harvey, D. (2003). The New Imperialism. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Hussain, Z. (2016). Saudi Arabia in a Multipolar World: Changing Dynamics. New Delhi: Routledge.
India, Foreign Affairs Record. (1982). Joint Communiqué issued at the end of Visit of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 20 April 1982, 28(4), 133–136.
India, MEA. (2001). MEA Annual Report, 2000–01. New Delhi: MEA.
India, MEA. (2006a, January 1). Extradition Treaty between the Government of the Republic of India and the Sultanate of Oman, 1 January. Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/Images/CPV/leta/Oman.pdf
India, MEA. (2006b, January 25). Agreements/MOUs signed between India and Saudi Arabia during the Visit of King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at Hyderabad House, New Delhi, 25 January. Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/5968/AgreementsMOUs+signed+between+India+and+Saudi+Arabia+during+the+Visit+of+King+Abdullah+Bin+Abdul+Aziz+AlSaud+of+the+Kingdom+of+Saudi+Arabia+at+Hyderabad+House+New+Delhi
India, MEA. (2010, February 26). Briefing by Secretary (East) on forthcoming visit of PM to Saudi Arabia, 26 February. Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/outoging-visit-detail.htm?2815/Briefing+by+Secretary+East+on+forthcoming+visit+of+PM+to+Saudi+Arabia
India, MEA. (2011a, February 22). Temporary deputation of Administrative Staff to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2011, 22 February. Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/in-focus-article.htm?19179/temporary+deputation+of+administrative+staff+to+saudi+arabia+for+haj+2011
India, MEA. (2011b, March 20). ‘In WikiLeaks, certain codes were broken—a code of diplomatic practice and convention’, 20 March. Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/outoging-visit-detail.htm?84/In+WikiLeaks+certain+codes+were+brokena+code+of+diplomatic+practice+and+convention
India, MEA. (2013). MEA Annual Report, 2012–13. New Delhi: MEA.
India, MEA. (2014a, February 20). Joint Statement on the occasion of the State Visit of the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain to India, 20 February. Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/22960/Joint_Statement_on_the_occasion_of_the_State_Visit_of_the_King_of_the_Kingdom_of_Bahrain_to_India
India, MEA. (2014b, February 21). Official Visit of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to India, 21 February. Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/22979/official+visit+of+his+royal+highness+prince+salman+bin+abdulaziz+al+saud+crown+prince+deputy+prime+minister+and+defence+minister+of+the+kingdom+of+saudi+arabia+to+india
India, MEA. (2015a, January 24). Vice President to lead delegation to condole death of King Abdullah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 24 January. Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/24723/vice+president+to+lead+delegation+to+condole+death+of+king+abdullah+of+the+kingdom+of+saudi+arabia
India, MEA. (2015b, March 26). Joint Statement during the State Visit of the Emir of the State of Qatar to India (March 24–25, 2015). Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/25012/Joint_Statement_during_the_State_Visit_of_the_Emir_of_the_State_of_Qatar_to_India_March_2425_2015
India, MEA. (2015c, June 5). India-Qatar Joint Statement during the visit of Prime Minister to Qatar, 5 June. Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/26870/IndiaQatar_Joint_Statement_during_the_visit_of_Prime_Minister_to_Qatar
India, MEA. (2016a, February 19). Tender for Handling and Forwarding of Medicines/Equipment to CGI, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for Haj-2016, 19 February. Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/tenderdetail.htm?2354
India, MEA. (2016b, March 22). Official Visit of Prime Minister to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (April 2–3, 2016), 22 March. Retrieved from http://mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/26562/official+visit+of+prime+minister+to+the+kingdom+of+saudi+arabia+april+23+2016
India, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. (2014, January 2). Agreement on Labor Cooperation for Domestic Service Workers Recruitment between the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs of the Republic of India and Ministry of Labour of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2 January. Retrieved from https://www.mea.gov.in/images/pdf/mou-saudi-arabia.pdf
Jha, A. N. (1992). India-Iraq relations, 1947–86: Need for fresh initiatives. In Verinder Grover (Ed.), West Asia and India’s Foreign Policy (pp. 437–461). New Delhi: Deep & Deep.
Kampani, G. (2001). In praise of indifference toward India’s bomb. Orbis, 45(2), 241–257.
Kumaraswamy, P. R. (2017). Modi Redefines India’s Palestine Policy. IDSA Issue Brief. Retrieved from http://www.idsa.in/issuebrief/modi-redefines-india-palestine-policy_prkumaraswamy_180517
Lambeth, B. S. (1992). Desert Storm and its Meaning: The View from Moscow. Washington, DC: Rand. Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/reports/2009/R4164.pdf
McElroy, D. (2013, November 25). Iran nuclear deal: Saudi Arabia warns it will strike out on its own. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/10472538/Iran-nuclear-deal-Saudi-Arabia-warns-it-will-strike-out-on-its-own.html
Morrow, D., & Carriere, M. (1999). The economic impacts of the 1998 sanctions on India and Pakistan. The Nonproliferation Review, 6(4), 1–16.
Mumbai top cop Ahmad Javed is new Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia. (2015, December 11). Firstpost. Retrieved from http://www.firstpost.com/world/ahmed-javed-appointed-indian-envoy-to-saudi-arabia-2542670.html
Prokop, M. (2003). Saudi Arabia: The politics of education. International Affairs, 79(1), 77–89.
Raja Mohan, C. (2000, August 3). Kargil diplomacy. The Hindu. Retrieved from http://www.thehindu.com/2000/08/03/stories/05032523.htm
Raja Mohan, C. (2001, January 22). Engagement with Saudi Arabia not aimed at Pak: Jaswant. The Hindu. Retrieved from http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/2001/01/22/stories/0122000a.htm
Ram, N. (1999, May 8). “What wrong did this man do?” Frontline. Retrieved from http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1610/16100220.htm
Ray, Amrita. (2017, September 13). Shinzo Abe In Gujarat LIVE: Japanese PM, Narendra Modi Visit Sidi Saiyyed Mosque In Ahmedabad. NDTV. Retrieved from https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/live-shinzo-abe-pm-narendra-modi-to-meet-in-ahmedabad-to-boost-india-japan-ties-1749555
Rennack, D. E. (2003). India and Pakistan: US Economic Sanctions (CRS Report No. RS-20995). Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Sachdev, M. (2015, January 26). Reasons for Remembering King Abdullah. The Hindu. Retrieved from http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/reasons-for-remembering-king-abdullah/article10644372.ece
Shea, N., & Al-Ahmed, A. (2006). Saudi Arabia’s Curriculum of Intolerance: With Excerpts from Saudi Ministry of Education Textbooks for Islamic Studies. Washington, DC: Freedom House.
Spielman, R. (1990, August 21). The Emerging Unipolar World. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/21/opinion/the-emerging-unipolar-world.html
Strategic Digest. (2001). India and Saudi Arabia: Partnership for Security, Stability and Development, Keynote Address by Mr. Jaswant Singh, Minister of External Affairs, 21 January 2001. Strategic Digest, 31(4), 441–446.
Taneja, K. (2015, January 26). Why India Went a Step beyond Others to Mourn Saudi King’s Death. Scroll. Retrieved from https://scroll.in/article/702381/why-india-went-a-step-beyond-others-to-mourn-saudi-kings-death
The Hindu. (2001, April 16). Jaswant gets horses from Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from http://www.thehindu.com/2001/04/16/stories/0116000d.htm
Varadarajan, S. (2005, September 16). When Jaswant took Indian politics to foreign shores. The Hindu. Retrieved from http://www.thehindu.com/2005/09/16/stories/2005091606041100.htm
Waltz, K. N. (1993). The Emerging Structure of International Politics. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kumaraswamy, P.R., Quamar, M.M. (2019). The Shift. In: India's Saudi Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0794-2_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0794-2_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-0793-5
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-0794-2
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)