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Book Review: James Wise, Notes on the Races, Castes and Trades of Eastern Bengal. Edited with an introduction by Ananda Bhattacharyya

a revised partnership. This involved the United States eliminating Osama Bin Laden, which was achieved on 2 May 2011, protecting US troops in Afghanistan, and carrying out drone attacks in various parts of Pakistan. Resulting turbulences in the relationship of the two countries were inevitable, but Jaffrelot argues that, over time, this trust deficit has been reduced and their relationships improved again. Farah Jan and Serge Granger, in ‘Pakistan–China Symbiotic Relations’ (pp. 279–300), examine the evolution of this relationship since Pakistan became the third noncommunist country to recognise China in 1950. The 1962 India–China war cemented Pakistan’s relationship with China and, in 1963, the two countries settled their border issues in Jammu and kashmir. During the 1970s, Pakistan played a significant mediator role between the United States and China. The authors portray Pakistan’s dual role for China, keeping India engaged on its western border and providing China access to the Arabian Sea via the Gwadar port and a network of pipelines, rail and road connections. The pertinent conclusion here is that the stability of Pakistan is more important to China than for the United States. Finally, Sana Haroon, in ‘Pakistan Between Saudi Arabia and Iran: Islam in the Politics and Economics of Western Asia’ (pp. 301–34), traces Pakistan’s relationship to Gulf countries. While earlier Saudi Arabia was critical of Pakistan, in 1967 both countries signed an agreement, whereby Pakistan would train the Saudi Armed Forces. Economic aid began to flow from the Middle East after 1974. In 1981, Zia ul Haq first engaged diplomatically with post-revolutionary Iran through an official state visit. Though at times Pakistan developed some differences with Iran, linked especially to Pakistan’s insistence on hosting the Islamic Conference summit in 1997 at the 50th anniversary of Pakistan’s creation, the relationship improved later. Changing political dynamics across the world and in South Asia have made the Middle East and its influence over the domestic politics and economy of Pakistan highly significant. The volume as a whole shows how well Pakistan is integrated into the region and wider geostrategic patterns and, indeed, will not just collapse as a state, but will keep navigating, albeit not without precarity, at the interface of domestic and external dynamics, verifying the editor’s introductory premise through this richly documented study.