Imperial Transition, Indianisation and Race: Developing National Navies in the Subcontinent, 1947–64

This article examines the colonial legacies in the development of the Indian and Pakistani navies following Independence. As both navies struggled with problems of indigenising their forces, Britain endeavoured to maintain its regional hegemony by extending the professional dependency of both. The influence of imperial ideologies and racial discourses of power on these relationships and on Indian naval identity caused India's and Pakistan's navies to evolve in different directions, as did Cold War geopolitics and civil–military relations. By analysing the challenges faced by India in achieving strategic independence, this article widens existing debates surrounding the neo-colonialism of Indian governance and education during the Nehruvian period, the reinvigoration of Empire and the limits of British imperial power after World War II.