ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the social, cultural, and political development of Asia from three perspectives—the long-standing cultural influences of Confucianism in East Asia, the colonial legacy in South Asia, and the impact of the Cold War in Asian countries. In the past few centuries, Asia has been mostly at the 'receiving end' of the world's powerful political and social trends—colonization, Westernization, and democratization. The chapter examines India's political history to illustrate these complexities. The chapter focuses on a few countries and regions, examining three approaches: the Confucian influence on contemporary political and economic development in China and other East Asian countries; the interactions between the colonial legacies of the United Kingdom and the indigenous social and political traditions in India's path to modernization; and the tremendous impact of the Cold War on several regions in Asia. Central Asia has benefited from the skyrocketing energy demand worldwide.
