This is the latest volume in the Europa Political and Economic Dictionaries series which began five years ago with A Political and Economic Dictionary of Eastern Europe (Thomas et al., 2002) (RR 2003/14). A number of other volumes have since appeared, two more of which, covering Latin America (Calvert, 2004) and Western Europe (Annesley, 2005), have also been reviewed in these columns (RR 2005/120) (RR 2006/57). Like its predecessors, South Asia is intended (I quote the publicity blurb on the back cover) to provide “clear definitions detailing terms, concepts, names and organizations used in relation to current economic and political affairs of the region”. The “region” in this case is what is often referred to as the Indian sub‐continent, that is Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. The volume has been put together by a team based at University of Heidelberg's prestigious South Asia Institute, led by Professor and Head of Department Subraat Mitra who has published widely on the region.
As with the earlier titles in the series, this volume has two types of entry. The most substantial, and perhaps useful, are the Political Development and Economic Development entries which follow the general entry for each country. These are in reality mini‐essays: India, Political Development, for example, spreads across 25 pages, while even Bhutan, Economic Development runs to eleven pages. Broken down into topical subsections (e.g. Legislature, Foreign Policy and Defence in the case of the Political Development; Public sector, Foreign Trade, Labour, Floods and Natural Disasters in the case of the Economic Development) these extended entries provide valuable potted summaries of the late twentieth century political and economic history of each country. They should be of most value in reference settings where there is limited information on the modern sub‐continent, and will no doubt have particular appeal to students and others undertaking assignments on the region.
Supplementing the extended Political and Economic Development entries are perhaps 900 more traditional dictionary type definitions. Arranged A‐Z (the extended country entries are also set within the one alphabetical sequence), these range from 25 to 500 or more words and cover people, ethnic groups, regions, administrative divisions, organizations, political parties, policies, conflicts and disputes, ideologies, concepts, etc. relating to individual states or the region as a whole. Longer entries include Jammu and Kashmir (c.600 words), Nuclearization (c.500 words) and Maharashtra (c.350 words). Among the shorter entries, often for individuals or organizations, are Bhutan Trust Fund for Environment Conversation (c.40 words), Singh, G. Zali (India's seventh president) (c.80 words) and Tawang (one of the unresolved border dispute between India and China) (c.50 words). Coverage here, while not in depth, is surprisingly comprehensive and provides information on often overlooked aspects of the region such as the futility of Indian and Pakistani troops freezing to death on the Siachen Glacier at 5,000 metres or the strategic importance of the Siliguri Corridor, the narrow neck of land between Bhutan and Bangladesh that connects the north eastern states with the rest of India.
With the main alphabetical sequence of entries accounting for 403 of this volume's 440 pages this is in some respects a “barebones” reference tool grudging in its supply of supporting material. Indexing, for example, is not provided although it could reasonably be argued that the plentiful deployment of boldface cross‐references to entry headings in the text and a 30 page Appendix listing entries for each country in separate alphabetical sequences are adequate navigational devices in a volume labelled a “dictionary”. Apart from this, however, there is no supporting matter beyond an Abbreviations key (a hallmark of Europa/Routledge publications), a brief Foreword and a short Note on the Entries. What is conspicuously absent from the general reference perspective is any form of bibliographical listing or suggestions of sources for further information. There is neither further reading appended to entries, nor a cumulated bibliography. Even web links, which could surely have been appended to some of the more important organizational entries, are not offered. In a dictionary tool such as this, which by its very nature can only provide introductory or summary information, the omission of any pointers to additional information sources is at best a disappointment and at worst a deficiency. In many references situations users will be left needing more but no map to the road ahead. Should Europa/Routlegde decide to revise this volume, or the series as a whole, the provision of references and web links should be a priority enhancement.
Aside from the somewhat cul‐de‐sac nature of this title as a reference tool, all else is to the customary high standard one expects from the Europa/Routledge imprint. The hardback covers are sound and secure, presentation and layout are excellent and the price of £120 is not unreasonable considering the effort that must have gone into compilation. Above all else the content appears accurate and up to date. This is an authoritative and reliable compilation that, despite the failure to signpost further information sources, will be a mandatory purchase for libraries specialising in South Asia and an advisory acquisition for more general collections seeking to maintain a breadth of basic information on current politics and economics across the globe.
