Framing the debate using case studies from across South Asia as well as China, Afghanistan and Burma and using a wealth of primary and secondary sources, this book takes a closer look at the organization and doctrines of the 'shadow armies' and the government forces which fight the former. It is a welcome addition to the growing field of interest on civil wars and insurgencies in South Asia and enables us to better understand whether South Asia is witnessing a 'New War' and whether the twenty-first century belongs to the insurgents.

Scott Gates is Professor of Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Director of the Centre for the Study of Civil War at Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) in Norway. Kaushik Roy, Dr., is a Reader in the Department of History, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India and a Senior Researcher at the Centre for the Study of Civil War (CSCW) at Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) in Norway.

Contents: Preface; Introduction; Counter-insurgency: theories and tools in South Asia; Tribes, state-building and guerrillas in North-East India; Communist insurgencies: Maoists in Nepal and India; Jihadis in Kashmir; Insurgencies and counter-insurgencies in Pakistan; Insurgency and counter-insurgency in Afghanistan: from the Soviets to the Americans; Insurgency and counter-insurgency in the Punjab; Insurgency and counter-insurgency in Sri Lanka: 1983-2009; Conclusion; Index.