In the 21st century, diplomacy has transcended traditional concerns of military power, geopolitical competition, and trade negotiations. In contemporary international relations, soft power—a term popularized by Joseph Nye (1990), emphasizing influence through cultural attraction and shared values—serves as a crucial mechanism for states manoeuvring through turbulent geopolitical dynamics.
Bharat relies heavily on its soft power and heritage, culture, and shared civilizational memories are central to its international partnerships. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy emphasizes civilizational diplomacy, positioning Bharat as a premier, enduring global civilization. Within this broad framework, Ramayana diplomacy serves as a cornerstone of Bharat’s cultural engagement across Southeast Asia.
The Ramayana, an ancient Indian epic by Sage Valmiki, chronicles Prince Rama’s exile and his quest to rescue his abducted wife, Sita, from Ravana. A nuanced analysis of the text also reveals that the Ramayana is fundamentally a treatise on justice, righteousness, and the realignment of cosmic order. For several centuries, the Ramayana has operated as a foundational moral compass, using diverse performing arts to promote values and ethics across South and Southeast Asia.
As highlighted by Jaishankar (2020) and Bajpai (2023), the Ramayana plays a vital role in anchoring Bharat’s connections with Southeast Asian nations. This dynamic illustrates the core tenets of cultural diplomacy, where exchanging ideas, heritage, and art cultivates international cooperation. The enduring legacy of the Ramayana is reflected in its vast presence and localized interpretations across Southeast Asia. As documented by the Jackson School of International Studies, unique adaptations in nations like Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia influence regional epistemological frameworks, while its impact can also be seen in various other Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Predating colonial boundaries and contemporary geopolitical divisions, this common cultural inheritance provides Bharat with a distinct, organic diplomatic advantage that few other nations can replicate.
Shifting away from ideological or coercive methods, Ramayana diplomacy leverages civilizational affinity, attraction, and historical familiarity. This demonstrates how historical heritage can be operationalized to build contemporary political goodwill while fully respecting national sovereignty.
Ramayana diplomacy is, therefore, a distinctive model of Bharat’s soft power rooted in organic civilizational continuity instead of aggressive cultural projection. This indigenous architecture of international engagement serves to reinforce the Act East Policy, deepen regional partnerships, and accelerate Bharat’s rise as a premier civilizational power.
Contextualizing Ramayana Diplomacy
Ramayana diplomacy represents the strategic utilization of shared cultural heritage to deepen bilateral relations between Bharat and countries influenced by Bharatiya civilization. Moving beyond conventional public diplomacy, this approach is anchored in profound historical and spiritual linkages that have evolved over nearly two millennia.
The transmission of the Ramayana across Asia occurred through peaceful avenues like trade, pilgrimage, scholarly exchange, and maritime networks, rather than aggressive military conquests. Indian merchants, monks, and artisans carried Sanskrit and Buddhist literature and cultural traditions across the Indian Ocean, where local societies organically adapted them to suit their unique historical environments.
This cultural diffusion led to the creation of distinct national epics across the region, most notably Indonesia’s Kakawin Ramayana, Thailand’s Ramakien, Cambodia’s Reamker, Malaysia’s Hikayat Seri Rama, Myanmar’s Yama Zatdaw, and Laos’s Phra Lak Phra Lam. The existence of these diverse localized iterations demonstrates that modern Ramayana diplomacy does not demand cultural uniformity; instead, it derives its strength from a foundation of shared civilizational diversity.
Ramayana diplomacy also reflects Bharat’s shifting identity toward that of a prominent civilizational state wherein Bharat is viewed not merely as a post-colonial entity, but as an enduring global civilization where ancient traditions actively inform modern statecraft. In this light, the Ramayana transcends literature to serve as a foundation for shared memory, political philosophy, and ethical governance. This framework allows Bharat to seamlessly re-engage with partner nations in the Indic cultural sphere while completely respecting their sovereign independence and local adaptations.
An equally vital dimension of Ramayana diplomacy is its ability to foster robust people-to-people connectivity. While state-level negotiations are conducted between governments, cultural diplomacy operates organically across communities, scholars, artists, and heritage professionals. International festivals, collaborative theatrical productions, and academic partnerships establish enduring interpersonal networks that outlast political transitions, anchoring bilateral ties in mutual respect.
From a policy standpoint, Ramayana diplomacy illustrates how civilizational assets can successfully reinforce traditional instruments of statecraft. Rather than replacing hard power defence pacts or economic engagement, it infuses these partnerships with vital historical legitimacy and emotional resonance. In today’s multipolar global architecture, where identity and historical narratives heavily influence geopolitics, this strategy provides Bharat with a distinct comparative advantage, transforming ancient heritage into a modern asset for Indo-Pacific alignment.
Indonesia: The Anchor of Ramayana Diplomacy
Indonesia occupies a foundational role within the larger framework of Ramayana diplomacy. As the world’s most populous Muslim-majority state, its preservation of Hindu heritage—such as the Kakawin Ramayana and the Prambanan Ramayana Ballet—remains remarkably robust.
Civilizational ties between Bharat and the Indonesian archipelago are several centuries old. Java is mentioned as ‘Yawadvipa’ in the Ramayana. Sugriva—the mighty Vanara King of Kishkindha—dispatched his men to Yawadvipa, the modern-day Island of Java, in search of Sita (Kapur, 2010). Initiated around 1st century CE, maritime trade routes across the Indian Ocean facilitated organic interactions among merchants, Buddhist monks, Brahman scholars, and Southeast Asian rulers. Furthermore, the foundations of Indic statecraft in the Indonesian archipelago began with the kingdom of Srivijaya, founded in Sumatra before 4th century CE (Majumdar, 1952).
In mid-4th century, the kingdom of Tarumanagara was established in West Java, whose 5th-century ruler, Purnawarman, produced the earliest known inscriptions in the region. In the 5th century, starting around 425 CE, Buddhist influence also became pronounced. By the 6th century, the political landscape expanded with the rise of the Indianized Kalingga kingdom on the northern coast of Central Java, a polity whose name explicitly traces back to the Kalinga region on the eastern coast of Bharat (Coedès, 1968).
In the 8th century, around 732 CE, King Sanjaya founded a powerful kingdom, the Sanjaya dynasty, in Central Java with Mataram as its capital (Majumdar, 1952). It was during the rule of this dynasty that Ramayana was translated into Old Javanese and came to be known as Kakawin Ramayana—one of the most sophisticated adaptations of Valmiki’s Ramayana outside Bharat.
The sustained popularity of the Ramayana throughout Indonesia underscores its deep-seated position within the nation’s cultural fabric. Across Java and Bali, the epic’s narratives remain foundational to classical dance, theatre, and Wayang Kulit—Indonesia’s traditional shadow puppetry. Characters like Rama, Sita, and Hanuman are recognized as national cultural icons embodying universal virtues of loyalty and ethical leadership.
In fact, the foundational identity of modern Indonesia highlights the lasting legacy of Indic civilization. This is evident in its national symbol, the Garuda Pancasila, and its flagship carrier, Garuda Indonesia—both drawing from the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. Furthermore, Sanskrit vocabulary shapes Indonesia’s administrative language, and its national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (“Unity in Diversity”), originates from the 14th-century Majapahit poem Kakawin Sutasoma. These civilizational markers demonstrate that Bharat’s cultural footprint remains integrated into Indonesia’s national fabric without compromising its sovereignty.
The most prominent manifestation of Indonesia’s Ramayana legacy is the magnificent Prambanan Temple complex in Central Java constructed during the rule of the Sanjaya dynasty. This temple exhibits clear structural and aesthetic similarities to classical South Indian architecture, drawing heavily from the style developed during the reign of the Chola dynasty. The internationally celebrated Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan significantly reinforces the living cultural bridge between Bharat and Indonesia. Attracting both domestic and international audiences, the ballet showcases the Ramayana as a dynamic, evolving tradition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Indonesia from 6–8 July 2026 successfully institutionalized the convergence of Bharat’s civilizational diplomacy and strategic imperatives. Elevating Ramayana diplomacy to a new level, Prime Minister Modi and President Prabowo jointly unveiled a plaque initiating the Prambanan Temple Compounds Restoration Project, marking a shift in New Delhi’s regional cultural statecraft from abstract storytelling to tangible heritage conservation.
The Indonesian model highlights the deeply inclusive character of Bharat’s contemporary Ramayana diplomacy. Rather than projecting the Ramayana as an exclusively Indic or theological text, Bharat recognizes Indonesia’s indigenous adaptations as authentic expressions of a broader, shared Asian heritage. This strategy explicitly values the Kakawin Ramayana, Javanese choreography, and Wayang Kulit as internal components of Indonesia’s national identity. By emphasizing cultural partnership over cultural ownership, New Delhi ensures its soft power outreach is both respectful and politically sustainable. In several respects, therefore, Indonesia represents the most successful illustration of how historical memory can reinforce contemporary statecraft.
The Evolution of Ramayana Diplomacy under Narendra Modi
Since assuming office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fundamentally reoriented Indian statecraft by prioritizing the nation’s civilizational identity as an active diplomatic asset. Earlier administrations certainly recognized cultural outreach—operationalizing it through the ICCR, archaeological collaboration, and Buddhist networks—yet the Modi government has significantly scaled up its visibility and strategic integration. Consequently, the Ramayana has emerged as a frontline instrument of soft power and heritage diplomacy within Southeast Asia.
The conceptual foundation of this strategy rests on the fact that Bharat’s historical influence in Asia developed through the peaceful diffusion of ideas, literature, and trade networks. Emphasizing these organic ties, Bharat is presented as a vital civilizational partner rather than a mere geopolitical competitor. This marks a profound shift, elevating culture from a superficial addition to statecraft into a primary strategic resource capable of securing long-term trust in the Indo-Pacific.
At the core of this strategic vision is the conceptualization of Bharat as a civilizational state. The Ramayana—focusing on righteous governance and ethical leadership—naturally reinforces this civilizational narrative across Asia. Prime Minister Modi’s state visits to Southeast Asian nations consistently reflect this strategic civilizational orientation. Throughout official engagements within the ASEAN bloc, references to the shared heritage of the Ramayana have served as a prominent diplomatic anchor.
A vital component of Bharat’s soft power involves the institutional scaling of Ramayana-focused public diplomacy and cultural exchanges. The administration under Prime Minister Modi has successfully leveraged digital technology to scale up the global visibility of Bharat’s civilizational heritage. Access to the Ramayana has dramatically widened for international audiences through virtual exhibitions, livestreamed performances, online archives, and digital manuscript documentation. This digital infrastructure proves essential in extending cultural diplomacy past the boundaries of traditional state visits, fostering broader public engagement in heritage preservation.
Ramayana diplomacy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, therefore, represents a fundamental shift in Bharat’s external statecraft. By blending shared civilizational heritage with strategic engagement, New Delhi proves how ancient cultural traditions can be actively mobilized to achieve contemporary foreign policy goals. Moving past standard, transactional diplomacy, Bharat leverages historical memory, ethical narratives, and architectural conservation to secure resilient international partnerships. This framework stands as an essential pillar of the Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific strategy, solidifying Bharat’s position as a leading civilizational power whose influence balances economic strength with cultural legacy.
Moving forward, Ramayana diplomacy possesses immense potential for deeper institutionalization across the region. Bharat could pioneer an ASEAN–Bharat Ramayana Cultural Forum, uniting scholars, conservation experts, policymakers, and artists in collaborative research and heritage management initiatives. Expanding joint archaeological missions, supporting multilingual translations, developing integrated tourism circuits, and launching co-produced documentaries would successfully transition this strategy from a series of cultural events into a permanent framework for regional cooperation.
References
Bajpai, R. D. (2023, August 17). Ramayana: The Indian epic and its relevance to global IR. Retrieved from https://www.e-ir.info/author/ravi-dutt-bajpai/
Jaishankar, S. (2020). The India way: Strategies for an uncertain world (Reprint ed.). HarperCollins Publishers India.
Nye, J. S. (1990). Soft power. Foreign Policy, 80, 153–171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1148580
Kapur, K. (2010). Portraits of a nation: History of ancient India. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Coedès, G. (1968). In Walter F. Vella (ed.). The Indianized states of Southeast Asia. trans. Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press.
Majumdar, R.C. (1952). Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Dr Chandni Sengupta, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Sri Aurobindo College (Morning), University of Delhi and Honorary Fellow and Head, Civilizational Studies, Visvaniti Foundation, New Delhi.
Ramayana Diplomacy: Advancing Bharat’s Civilizational Statecraft
In the 21st century, diplomacy has transcended traditional concerns of military power, geopolitical competition, and trade negotiations. In contemporary international relations, soft power—a term popularized by Joseph Nye (1990), emphasizing influence through cultural attraction and shared values—serves as a crucial mechanism for states manoeuvring through turbulent geopolitical dynamics.
Bharat relies heavily on its soft power and heritage, culture, and shared civilizational memories are central to its international partnerships. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy emphasizes civilizational diplomacy, positioning Bharat as a premier, enduring global civilization. Within this broad framework, Ramayana diplomacy serves as a cornerstone of Bharat’s cultural engagement across Southeast Asia.
The Ramayana, an ancient Indian epic by Sage Valmiki, chronicles Prince Rama’s exile and his quest to rescue his abducted wife, Sita, from Ravana. A nuanced analysis of the text also reveals that the Ramayana is fundamentally a treatise on justice, righteousness, and the realignment of cosmic order. For several centuries, the Ramayana has operated as a foundational moral compass, using diverse performing arts to promote values and ethics across South and Southeast Asia.
As highlighted by Jaishankar (2020) and Bajpai (2023), the Ramayana plays a vital role in anchoring Bharat’s connections with Southeast Asian nations. This dynamic illustrates the core tenets of cultural diplomacy, where exchanging ideas, heritage, and art cultivates international cooperation. The enduring legacy of the Ramayana is reflected in its vast presence and localized interpretations across Southeast Asia. As documented by the Jackson School of International Studies, unique adaptations in nations like Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia influence regional epistemological frameworks, while its impact can also be seen in various other Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Predating colonial boundaries and contemporary geopolitical divisions, this common cultural inheritance provides Bharat with a distinct, organic diplomatic advantage that few other nations can replicate.
Shifting away from ideological or coercive methods, Ramayana diplomacy leverages civilizational affinity, attraction, and historical familiarity. This demonstrates how historical heritage can be operationalized to build contemporary political goodwill while fully respecting national sovereignty.
Ramayana diplomacy is, therefore, a distinctive model of Bharat’s soft power rooted in organic civilizational continuity instead of aggressive cultural projection. This indigenous architecture of international engagement serves to reinforce the Act East Policy, deepen regional partnerships, and accelerate Bharat’s rise as a premier civilizational power.
Contextualizing Ramayana Diplomacy
Ramayana diplomacy represents the strategic utilization of shared cultural heritage to deepen bilateral relations between Bharat and countries influenced by Bharatiya civilization. Moving beyond conventional public diplomacy, this approach is anchored in profound historical and spiritual linkages that have evolved over nearly two millennia.
The transmission of the Ramayana across Asia occurred through peaceful avenues like trade, pilgrimage, scholarly exchange, and maritime networks, rather than aggressive military conquests. Indian merchants, monks, and artisans carried Sanskrit and Buddhist literature and cultural traditions across the Indian Ocean, where local societies organically adapted them to suit their unique historical environments.
This cultural diffusion led to the creation of distinct national epics across the region, most notably Indonesia’s Kakawin Ramayana, Thailand’s Ramakien, Cambodia’s Reamker, Malaysia’s Hikayat Seri Rama, Myanmar’s Yama Zatdaw, and Laos’s Phra Lak Phra Lam. The existence of these diverse localized iterations demonstrates that modern Ramayana diplomacy does not demand cultural uniformity; instead, it derives its strength from a foundation of shared civilizational diversity.
Ramayana diplomacy also reflects Bharat’s shifting identity toward that of a prominent civilizational state wherein Bharat is viewed not merely as a post-colonial entity, but as an enduring global civilization where ancient traditions actively inform modern statecraft. In this light, the Ramayana transcends literature to serve as a foundation for shared memory, political philosophy, and ethical governance. This framework allows Bharat to seamlessly re-engage with partner nations in the Indic cultural sphere while completely respecting their sovereign independence and local adaptations.
An equally vital dimension of Ramayana diplomacy is its ability to foster robust people-to-people connectivity. While state-level negotiations are conducted between governments, cultural diplomacy operates organically across communities, scholars, artists, and heritage professionals. International festivals, collaborative theatrical productions, and academic partnerships establish enduring interpersonal networks that outlast political transitions, anchoring bilateral ties in mutual respect.
From a policy standpoint, Ramayana diplomacy illustrates how civilizational assets can successfully reinforce traditional instruments of statecraft. Rather than replacing hard power defence pacts or economic engagement, it infuses these partnerships with vital historical legitimacy and emotional resonance. In today’s multipolar global architecture, where identity and historical narratives heavily influence geopolitics, this strategy provides Bharat with a distinct comparative advantage, transforming ancient heritage into a modern asset for Indo-Pacific alignment.
Indonesia: The Anchor of Ramayana Diplomacy
Indonesia occupies a foundational role within the larger framework of Ramayana diplomacy. As the world’s most populous Muslim-majority state, its preservation of Hindu heritage—such as the Kakawin Ramayana and the Prambanan Ramayana Ballet—remains remarkably robust.
Civilizational ties between Bharat and the Indonesian archipelago are several centuries old. Java is mentioned as ‘Yawadvipa’ in the Ramayana. Sugriva—the mighty Vanara King of Kishkindha—dispatched his men to Yawadvipa, the modern-day Island of Java, in search of Sita (Kapur, 2010). Initiated around 1st century CE, maritime trade routes across the Indian Ocean facilitated organic interactions among merchants, Buddhist monks, Brahman scholars, and Southeast Asian rulers. Furthermore, the foundations of Indic statecraft in the Indonesian archipelago began with the kingdom of Srivijaya, founded in Sumatra before 4th century CE (Majumdar, 1952).
In mid-4th century, the kingdom of Tarumanagara was established in West Java, whose 5th-century ruler, Purnawarman, produced the earliest known inscriptions in the region. In the 5th century, starting around 425 CE, Buddhist influence also became pronounced. By the 6th century, the political landscape expanded with the rise of the Indianized Kalingga kingdom on the northern coast of Central Java, a polity whose name explicitly traces back to the Kalinga region on the eastern coast of Bharat (Coedès, 1968).
In the 8th century, around 732 CE, King Sanjaya founded a powerful kingdom, the Sanjaya dynasty, in Central Java with Mataram as its capital (Majumdar, 1952). It was during the rule of this dynasty that Ramayana was translated into Old Javanese and came to be known as Kakawin Ramayana—one of the most sophisticated adaptations of Valmiki’s Ramayana outside Bharat.
The sustained popularity of the Ramayana throughout Indonesia underscores its deep-seated position within the nation’s cultural fabric. Across Java and Bali, the epic’s narratives remain foundational to classical dance, theatre, and Wayang Kulit—Indonesia’s traditional shadow puppetry. Characters like Rama, Sita, and Hanuman are recognized as national cultural icons embodying universal virtues of loyalty and ethical leadership.
In fact, the foundational identity of modern Indonesia highlights the lasting legacy of Indic civilization. This is evident in its national symbol, the Garuda Pancasila, and its flagship carrier, Garuda Indonesia—both drawing from the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. Furthermore, Sanskrit vocabulary shapes Indonesia’s administrative language, and its national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (“Unity in Diversity”), originates from the 14th-century Majapahit poem Kakawin Sutasoma. These civilizational markers demonstrate that Bharat’s cultural footprint remains integrated into Indonesia’s national fabric without compromising its sovereignty.
The most prominent manifestation of Indonesia’s Ramayana legacy is the magnificent Prambanan Temple complex in Central Java constructed during the rule of the Sanjaya dynasty. This temple exhibits clear structural and aesthetic similarities to classical South Indian architecture, drawing heavily from the style developed during the reign of the Chola dynasty. The internationally celebrated Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan significantly reinforces the living cultural bridge between Bharat and Indonesia. Attracting both domestic and international audiences, the ballet showcases the Ramayana as a dynamic, evolving tradition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Indonesia from 6–8 July 2026 successfully institutionalized the convergence of Bharat’s civilizational diplomacy and strategic imperatives. Elevating Ramayana diplomacy to a new level, Prime Minister Modi and President Prabowo jointly unveiled a plaque initiating the Prambanan Temple Compounds Restoration Project, marking a shift in New Delhi’s regional cultural statecraft from abstract storytelling to tangible heritage conservation.
The Indonesian model highlights the deeply inclusive character of Bharat’s contemporary Ramayana diplomacy. Rather than projecting the Ramayana as an exclusively Indic or theological text, Bharat recognizes Indonesia’s indigenous adaptations as authentic expressions of a broader, shared Asian heritage. This strategy explicitly values the Kakawin Ramayana, Javanese choreography, and Wayang Kulit as internal components of Indonesia’s national identity. By emphasizing cultural partnership over cultural ownership, New Delhi ensures its soft power outreach is both respectful and politically sustainable. In several respects, therefore, Indonesia represents the most successful illustration of how historical memory can reinforce contemporary statecraft.
The Evolution of Ramayana Diplomacy under Narendra Modi
Since assuming office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fundamentally reoriented Indian statecraft by prioritizing the nation’s civilizational identity as an active diplomatic asset. Earlier administrations certainly recognized cultural outreach—operationalizing it through the ICCR, archaeological collaboration, and Buddhist networks—yet the Modi government has significantly scaled up its visibility and strategic integration. Consequently, the Ramayana has emerged as a frontline instrument of soft power and heritage diplomacy within Southeast Asia.
The conceptual foundation of this strategy rests on the fact that Bharat’s historical influence in Asia developed through the peaceful diffusion of ideas, literature, and trade networks. Emphasizing these organic ties, Bharat is presented as a vital civilizational partner rather than a mere geopolitical competitor. This marks a profound shift, elevating culture from a superficial addition to statecraft into a primary strategic resource capable of securing long-term trust in the Indo-Pacific.
At the core of this strategic vision is the conceptualization of Bharat as a civilizational state. The Ramayana—focusing on righteous governance and ethical leadership—naturally reinforces this civilizational narrative across Asia. Prime Minister Modi’s state visits to Southeast Asian nations consistently reflect this strategic civilizational orientation. Throughout official engagements within the ASEAN bloc, references to the shared heritage of the Ramayana have served as a prominent diplomatic anchor.
A vital component of Bharat’s soft power involves the institutional scaling of Ramayana-focused public diplomacy and cultural exchanges. The administration under Prime Minister Modi has successfully leveraged digital technology to scale up the global visibility of Bharat’s civilizational heritage. Access to the Ramayana has dramatically widened for international audiences through virtual exhibitions, livestreamed performances, online archives, and digital manuscript documentation. This digital infrastructure proves essential in extending cultural diplomacy past the boundaries of traditional state visits, fostering broader public engagement in heritage preservation.
Ramayana diplomacy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, therefore, represents a fundamental shift in Bharat’s external statecraft. By blending shared civilizational heritage with strategic engagement, New Delhi proves how ancient cultural traditions can be actively mobilized to achieve contemporary foreign policy goals. Moving past standard, transactional diplomacy, Bharat leverages historical memory, ethical narratives, and architectural conservation to secure resilient international partnerships. This framework stands as an essential pillar of the Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific strategy, solidifying Bharat’s position as a leading civilizational power whose influence balances economic strength with cultural legacy.
Moving forward, Ramayana diplomacy possesses immense potential for deeper institutionalization across the region. Bharat could pioneer an ASEAN–Bharat Ramayana Cultural Forum, uniting scholars, conservation experts, policymakers, and artists in collaborative research and heritage management initiatives. Expanding joint archaeological missions, supporting multilingual translations, developing integrated tourism circuits, and launching co-produced documentaries would successfully transition this strategy from a series of cultural events into a permanent framework for regional cooperation.
References
Bajpai, R. D. (2023, August 17). Ramayana: The Indian epic and its relevance to global IR. Retrieved from https://www.e-ir.info/author/ravi-dutt-bajpai/
Jaishankar, S. (2020). The India way: Strategies for an uncertain world (Reprint ed.). HarperCollins Publishers India.
Nye, J. S. (1990). Soft power. Foreign Policy, 80, 153–171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1148580
Kapur, K. (2010). Portraits of a nation: History of ancient India. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Coedès, G. (1968). In Walter F. Vella (ed.). The Indianized states of Southeast Asia. trans. Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press.
Majumdar, R.C. (1952). Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Dr Chandni Sengupta, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Sri Aurobindo College (Morning), University of Delhi and Honorary Fellow and Head, Civilizational Studies, Visvaniti Foundation, New Delhi.
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