PSIR daily current affairs analysis China India and the conflict over Buddhism

daily answer writing, PSIR daily current affairs

July 23, 2025 deepanalysis

China India and the conflict over Buddhism

 

1. PYQs linkage:

• What, according to Joseph Nye, are the major sources of a country’s soft power? Discuss its relevance in the contemporary world politics. 10 (2018)

 

 

• Theory application:

  concept of power: soft power (it is close to liberal theory, but realist too use soft power for coercive purposes), social constructivism.

• Concepts and keywords: strategic countermoves, geopolitical frontier, spiritual legitimacy, Buddhist diplomacy, instruments of soft power, Buddhist statecraft, global Buddhist Diaspora, geopolitical allegiances, transforming a spiritual dispute into a proxy conflict, realpolitik,

 

• Important facts:

• In 2007, the Chinese government formally asserted that any “Living Buddha” must be sanctioned by the state.
• India has been hosting the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan exile government since 1959

 

• important quotes or statements:

“India practices Buddhist diplomacy: China practices Buddhist statecraft”

“In the Himalayas, where territory is often inaccessible and infrastructure scarce, soft power is hard power.”

 

• Brief analysis and key points from the news or editorial:

 

• Use of Buddhist culture as a strategy:

1. Significance of Himalayan Buddhism in constructing identity (Social constructivism)

• What is China’s strategy:

1. Uses Buddhism as a tool of statecraft
2. Exiled or marginalized independent lamas, co-opted institutions and claimed the sole right to approve reincarnations
3. Maintains a database of officially recognized reincarnate lamas, monitors monastery activities across Tibet
4. Launched an ambitious Buddhist diplomacy campaign across the border.
5. Sacred sites are repurposed as instruments of soft power
6. Conference invitations extended to Himalayan monks who return home with subtle shifts in loyalty.

• What is India’s strategy:

1. Since last decade India has begun to engage with Buddhism as a tool of influence
2. Promoting its heritage as the Buddha’s birthplace

• Funding regional pilgrimage circuits

 

• Key challenges:

1. Succession of 14^th Dalai Lama; he signalled that he intends to reincarnate outside Chinese territory- most likely in India. (spiritual succession crisis)
2. Possibilities to two rival Lamas
3. It would force Buddhist communities across the Himalayan rim to pick sides, reshaping the geopolitical allegiances of entire regions.
4. The battle for Buddhism is about who gets to define legitimacy, and in doing so, shape the loyalties of border populations.
5. Challenges for India to ensure that spiritual allegiance does not drift toward foreign-controlled lineages.

 

China approach to deal with it:

• China has vowed to appoint its own Dalai Lama, using the centuries old “Golden Urn” method.
• China asserts its claim to Tawan, birthplace of the 6^th Dalai Lama through spiritual logic
• Invested heavily in Buddhist infrastructure

India’s approach to deal with it:

• Hosting the next Dalai Lama as an opportunity.

 

 

 

 

• Practice question (framing based PYQs dimensions):

To what extent, India has utilized its Buddhist legacy as a tool of soft power? Discuss. 15 Marks.