VP Dutt Memorial Lecture | India as Teacher by Negative Example: Chinese Perceptions of India During the British Colonial Period and Their Impact on Contemporary India-China Relations

 

Abstract

The history of ancient civilizational links between India and China is often cited as the enduring basis for India-China friendship. However, contemporary India-China relations have been much more influenced by Chinese encounters with British imperialism, with Indians playing the role of subordinate instruments of British depredations in China. India was held up by Chinese intellectuals as a teacher by negative example, its easy subjugation by the British, its fragmented and disunited polity. China would need to avoid these dangers if it were to regain its full independence and modernisation. These perceptions persist and influence Chinese policy towards India in contemporary times and need careful analysis.