Introduction: Regional Transformation and South Asia: A Framework of Analysis

The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s introduced profound changes in the structure as well as in the patterns of world politics.1 Most crucially, it marked the end of the familiar bipolar international system; consequently, the patterns of conflict and cooperation in international relations (IR) underwent significant alterations. A liberal euphoria and high hopes for a peaceful world, in which the rule of law, justice and international collaboration would define the pattern of IR, were the hallmark of the beginning of a new era.2 The outlook for a peaceful liberal world order appeared bright, as zones of democracy gradually expanded in various parts of the world and a rule-based trading system was consolidated with the establishment of the World Trade Organization.3