Evolution of Nationalist Foreign Policy: Panchsheel and Non-Alignment
Modern History › Independence and the New-Born Nation · Topic 30.10
India's foreign policy took shape before 1947 through anti-imperialism, Pan-Asian feeling, solidarity with colonial peoples and opposition to fascism, and after independence Nehru built it on Panchsheel and non-alignment. Panchsheel, the five principles of peaceful coexistence, was first formally stated in the India-China agreement on Tibet of 29 April 1954, and the Non-Aligned Movement held its first summit at Belgrade in 1961.
8 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Independence and the New-Born Nation
At a Glance
- Panchsheel Stated 29 April 1954 in the Tibet agreement; joint statement 18 June 1954
- Bandung April 1955, 29 Afro-Asian countries
- NAM First summit Belgrade, 1961
- Founders of NAM Tito, Nasser, Nkrumah, Sukarno and Nehru
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Independence and the New-Born Nation
Where Does It Fit?
This is the tenth topic of the category on independence and the new-born nation. The previous topic covered the making of the Constitution. This topic covers the nationalist origins of foreign policy and its two pillars, Panchsheel and non-alignment. The next topic covers the first general elections. Previous topic: Objectives Resolution Moved by Nehru, 13 December…">Making of the Constitution: Constituent Assembly and Its Work.
What Was India’s International Position Before 1947?
One reason for India’s ready interaction with the world on independence was its established diplomatic engagement under colonial rule. At independence India was a member of 51 international organisations and a signatory to about 600 treaties. It signed the Versailles Treaty after the First World War, having contributed over a million soldiers, was a founding member of the League of Nations, the International Labour Organisation and the International Court of Justice in the 1920s, and took part in the Washington Conference on Naval Armaments in 1921-22. From 1920 an Indian high commissioner sat in London. Indians formed the largest non-Western contingent in the United Nations soon after independence. The basic framework of the foreign policy was thus laid well before 1947.
How Did the Nationalist Foreign Policy Evolve?
| Phase | Features |
|---|---|
| 1880 to the First World War: anti-imperialism and Pan-Asian feeling | Nationalists opposed British expeditions: the Second Afghan War (1878-80), troops sent to Egypt in 1882 against Arabi, the annexation of Burma in 1885, the invasion of Tibet under Curzon in 1903, and annexations in the north-west in the 1890s; C. Sankaran Nair said in 1897 that the true policy was a peaceful policy; themes included solidarity with Russia, Ireland, Egypt, Turkey, Ethiopia, Sudan, Burma and Afghanistan, admiration of Japan, condemnation of the suppression of the I-Ho-Tuan uprising in 1895 and of efforts to divide China, and the myth of European superiority exploded by Japan’s defeat of Russia |
| First World War | Nationalists backed the government in the belief that democratic principles would be applied; afterwards the Congress insisted on representation at the Peace Conference, in 1920 urged people not to join the army to fight in the West, and in 1925 condemned sending the Indian army against the Chinese nationalists under Sun Yat-sen |
| 1920s and 1930s: identifying with the socialists | Nehru in Europe in 1926-27 met socialists and leftists; he attended the Congress of Oppressed Nationalities at Brussels in 1927 for the Congress, was an honorary president with Einstein and others, and was named to the executive of the League Against Imperialism; the Congress opened a foreign department; Nehru visited the Soviet Union in 1927 and saw it as a bulwark against imperialism |
| After 1936: anti-fascism | Nationalists saw fascism and imperialism as organs of capitalism and supported the struggles in Ethiopia, Spain, China and Czechoslovakia; at Tripuri in 1939 the Congress dissociated itself from British policy that supported fascism; a medical mission under Dr Atal went to China; on Palestine the Congress backed the Palestinians, sympathised with the Jews and opposed partition |
The Congress’s 1939 session is in Haripura and Tripuri Sessions and Subhash Bose’s Views, and the early nationalist stand on the colonial economy is in Economic Drain and the Nationalist Critique.
Why Is Nehru Called the Architect of the Policy?
After independence Nehru is often called the architect of the foreign policy. He saw the need for direct contact and cooperation with other nations, but also for an identity as a free nation that was not a satellite of any power. In his address to the Constituent Assembly on 4 December 1947 he said that the art of conducting foreign affairs lies in finding what is most advantageous to the country, and that no government dares do anything manifestly to the disadvantage of the country it governs. His aim was to transform India without being so dependent on any country or group as to lose independence of thought or policy. India needed peace with all nations to concentrate on development and relations good enough to obtain help without compromising freedom, so non-alignment appeared the right policy. His dual role as Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister is in First Day of Independent India and the First Government.
What Is Panchsheel?
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were first formally set out on 29 April 1954 in the Agreement on Trade and Intercourse between the Tibet region of China and India. The principles are mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence. When Zhou Enlai visited India in June 1954 he and Nehru, in a joint statement of 18 June, described Panchsheel as the framework for relations between the two countries and for relations with others, hoping it would help create an area of peace that could be widened.
A historical note from the source literature, an article by V.V. Paranjpe, says that the credit for formulating the principles should go to Zhou, who stated them on 31 December 1953 to the Indian delegation to the Tibet talks as five principles governing China’s relations with foreign countries; that T.N. Kaul conveyed their importance to Nehru and put them at the start of the draft agreement in January 1954; that the Chinese foreign office objected, and Zhou found a compromise by placing them in the preamble; and that the joint statement of June 1954 gave them world attention through Indian sponsorship. The word sheel means character in the classical language and the term was taken from Indonesian usage. The principles were included in the Ten Principles of the Bandung Conference of 29 Afro-Asian countries in April 1955, in a resolution on peaceful coexistence moved by India, Yugoslavia and Sweden that the UN General Assembly adopted unanimously on 11 December 1957, and in 1961 the Belgrade conference accepted them as the basic principles of the Non-Aligned Movement. The later course of the relationship is in India and China, 1947-62.
What Is Non-Alignment?
After the Second World War the old powers were weakened, the United States became actively involved in world affairs and demonstrated nuclear power in 1945, and the Soviet Union gained influence in Eastern Europe and tested its own weapon in 1949. The Cold War split the developed world into two nuclear-armed blocs, and the Third World became a field of competition. Alignment with the West was economically attractive but would have created dependence, and alignment with the communist bloc was not possible for a country attuned to a liberal democratic political vision. Political non-alignment was, therefore, prudent and pragmatic. The term gained currency after the Bandung Conference of 1955.
| Five criteria of non-alignment (Preparatory Committee) | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 1 | An independent policy based on peaceful co-existence and non-alignment |
| 2 | Consistent support to national freedom movements in other countries |
| 3 | Not a member of multilateral military alliances concluded in the context of super-power conflicts |
| 4 | If bases have been conceded, not in the context of super-power conflicts |
| 5 | If a member of bilateral or regional defence arrangements, not in the context of super-power politics |
The five pioneers of the movement were Tito of Yugoslavia, Nasser of Egypt, Nkrumah of Ghana, Sukarno of Indonesia and Nehru. At the first summit at Belgrade in 1961 Nehru said that non-aligned meant not aligned with the greater power blocs and, in a positive sense, being against lining up for war purposes, military blocs and alliances, and throwing one’s weight in favour of peace. Non-alignment is not neutrality. A neutral state stays passive during hostilities, mainly in war, while a non-aligned state forms positive opinions on international issues in both war and peace. As an analytical point, the policy was a way to use the competition of the blocs to keep options open and attract aid from both, and it gave a newly independent country a voice larger than its economic strength. The wider context is in Three Stages of Colonialism in India.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Panchsheel principles and dates Frequent Prelims facts
- Non-alignment versus neutrality A standard distinction for GS Paper 2
- Nationalist roots Shows the continuity of policy before and after 1947
What Came Next?
The next topic covers the first general elections of 1951-52. Next topic: First General Elections, 1951-52.
Key People and Terms
- Panchsheel Five principles of peaceful coexistence
- Non-alignment Refusal to join either Cold War bloc
- Bandung Conference 1955 Afro-Asian meeting
- Zhou Enlai Chinese premier who visited India in June 1954
- League Against Imperialism Body whose executive Nehru joined
- T.N. Kaul Official who brought the principles to Nehru
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Panchsheel: 29 April 1954; joint statement 18 June 1954.
- Bandung: April 1955; UN resolution 11 December 1957.
- NAM first summit: Belgrade, 1961.
- Pioneers: Tito, Nasser, Nkrumah, Sukarno, Nehru.
- Non-alignment is not neutrality.
Do Not Confuse With
- Non-alignment and neutrality Active positive stance versus passivity in war
- Panchsheel and Bandung’s Ten Principles Five principles incorporated into ten
- Brussels Congress and League Against Imperialism 1927 meeting versus the organisation formed from it
Memory Hook
Anti-imperial roots, five principles, one movement.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about the roots and principles of foreign policy. These points add depth.
- Roots Anti-imperialism and anti-fascism
- Principles Panchsheel
- Strategy Non-alignment in the Cold War
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Trace the evolution of India’s nationalist foreign policy and explain Panchsheel and non-alignment.”
How to Answer
- Roots Phases before 1947.
- Panchsheel Origin and spread.
- Non-alignment Reasons and criteria.
- Conclude Continuity.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the five principles of Panchsheel?
They are mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence, first formally stated in the India-China agreement on Tibet of 29 April 1954.
Who is called the architect of independent India's foreign policy?
Jawaharlal Nehru, who wanted peaceful relations with all nations, no dependence that would cost independence of thought or policy, and help for development without compromising freedom, and he set out these foundations in his speech to the Constituent Assembly on 4 December 1947.
What is the difference between non-alignment and neutrality?
Neutrality means passivity during war between blocs, while non-alignment applies in war and peace and means holding positive and constructive opinions on international issues; India described its stand as non-aligned and not neutral, and refused to favour any superpower in the Cold War.
Who were the pioneers of the Non-Aligned Movement?
The five pioneers were Tito of Yugoslavia, Nasser of Egypt, Nkrumah of Ghana, Sukarno of Indonesia and Nehru of India, and the first summit was held at Belgrade in 1961, where Panchsheel was accepted as basic principles.
How did nationalists view foreign policy before 1947?
They opposed British expeditions in Afghanistan, Egypt, Burma and Tibet, showed solidarity with colonial peoples, admired Japan, linked with socialists in the 1920s through Nehru and the League Against Imperialism, and supported anti-fascist struggles in the 1930s.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Panchsheel was first formally stated in the India-China agreement on Tibet of 1954.
The date was 29 April 1954.
2 The Non-Aligned Movement held its first summit at Bandung in 1955.
The first summit was at Belgrade in 1961.
3 Nehru attended the Congress of Oppressed Nationalities at Brussels in 1927.
He represented the Congress.
4 Non-alignment and neutrality mean the same thing.
Neutrality is passive in war; non-alignment is positive in war and peace.
5 The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on peaceful co-existence in December 1957.
It was presented by India, Yugoslavia and Sweden.
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