University of Delhi

Contours of Connection: Exploring India–Africa Ties Through Memory, Movement, and Meaning

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│By Anushka Srivastava, Gale Ambassador at the University of Delhi, India│

India-Africa relations are strengthening in a new global scenario, driven by economic complementarity, strategic alignment, and a shared focus on multilateralism. In 2025, India strengthened its ties with Africa through several high-level visits. Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a significant five-nation tour in July 2025, in Ghana and Namibia, and President Droupadi Murmu made a historic visit to Angola in November 2025.

Understanding the long-standing relationship between India and Africa requires exploring the historical documents that shaped early contact, mobility, diplomacy, economic networks, and political exchange. For this, Gale Primary Sources offers unparalleled access to documents that illuminate how people, commodities, and ideas moved between the two regions.

This blog post traces these linkages through four lenses – historical, diplomatic, economic, and political – using illustrative citations from Gale Primary Sources collections.

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Reimagining Global Politics: International Relations through a Non-Western Lens

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│By Aiman Urooj, Gale Ambassador at the University of Delhi│

International Relations (IR) has long been dominated by Western-centric theories, primarily shaped by European and American intellectual traditions. These frameworks—Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism prioritise state sovereignty, individualism, and economic liberalism. This Eurocentric lens limits IR’s ability to fully explain global politics, reinforcing a Westphalian state system that does not reflect realities outside the West.

Non-Western epistemology challenges the universal applicability of mainstream IR theories by offering alternate frameworks for understanding contemporary IR. This blog explores these alternate perspectives, with concepts like Ubuntu’s relational ethics in Africa, Tianxia’s hierarchical harmony in China, Islamic justice, and Russia’s civilizational sovereignty.

By exploring archival sources from Chatham House Online Archive scholars can uncover evidence that highlights the contributions of non-Western societies to global diplomacy.

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