Shedding light on the role of India within twentieth-century international relations, this book explores the life and career of Kavalam Madhava (K. M.) Panikkar (18941963), an Indian historian, statesman and diplomat. Having been involved in Indian intellectual and political life throughout the transition from the British Empire to the Nehruvian era, Panikkar was an important figure in the evolution of the modern Indian state. Based on over four years of extensive research both in India and Europe, and the analysis of public writings and unpublished archival documents, this book examines Panikkars role in the Indian national movement, the governance of several Princely states, and Indias foreign policy, notably with China. Not only do the authors critically re-evaluate Panikkars intellectual and political thoughts, but also his influence on the broader issue of Indias path towards independence. Offering a valuable contribution to modern Indian diplomatic history and wider international relations, this comprehensive book emphasises Panikkars importance in shaping the modern idea of India and crucial elements of Indian foreign policy. 

Mauro Elliis Associate Professor of Contemporary History in the Department of Historical Studies at the University of Milan La Statale, Italy. He is a member of the Secretariat for the International Commission of History of International 

Relations, an affiliated body of the International Committee of Historical Sciences.

Rita Paolinioversees research support in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Previously, she was a Research Fellow at the University of Milan, where she obtained her Ph.D. in Contemporary History, and she was affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India.

1. Introduction.- 2. Pursuing the Idea of India.- 3. Politics and Diplomacy in Princely India.- 4. Independent India and the World.- 5. The Chinese Experience.- 6. From Indian History to the History of Civilization.- 7. Conclusions