Power transition and pivot states in the geopolitics of the Bay of Bengal
Datos Bibliográficos
| ID | 21262899 |
|---|---|
| Autores | Talha Latief Tantray (0000-0002-5628-4810, Nalanda University, autor de correspondencia), R Sudhakar (0009-0002-0741-409X, University of Jammu) |
| Año | 2026 |
| Volumen | 4 |
| Número | 1 |
| Fecha de publicación | 2026-06-19 |
| Open Access | Sí |
| Tipo | ARTICLE |
| Revista | Discover Global Society (JOURNAL) |
| Identificadores de la revista | ISSN: 2731-9687 • E-ISSN: 2731-9687 |
| Editorial | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s44282-026-00456-w |
| OpenAlex | W7165126569 |
| Idioma | EN |
| Referencias citadas | 36 |
The Bay of Bengal has emerged as a pivotal arena within the evolving geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific, where maritime connectivity, infrastructure development, and strategic competition increasingly intersect. This article examines the growing rivalry between India and China in the region through the analytical lenses of neorealism and Power Transition Theory. It argues that the shifting distribution of capabilities between the two powers has generated a condition of regional strategic uncertainty that encourages smaller littoral states to pursue hedging strategies. Through a comparative case study of Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, the paper conceptualizes these countries as pivot states whose geographic position and control over key maritime infrastructure allow them to influence the operational reach of competing powers. The analysis demonstrates that rather than passively responding to great-power rivalry, these states leverage infrastructure partnerships, connectivity projects, and diplomatic diversification to maintain strategic autonomy. In doing so, pivot states actively mediate the evolving balance of power in the Bay of Bengal and shape the emerging strategic architecture of the Indo-Pacific
Bay · BENGAL · Geopolitics · Power (physics) · Transition (genetics) · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Social and Economic Development in India · Transboundary Water Resource Management
Foundations of Power Transition Theory
Maritime domain awareness and India's maritime security strategy
Japan-Bangladesh geo-economic cooperation
A critical look at Chinese ‘debt-trap diplomacy’
Maritime Diplomacy and Regional Cooperation Mechanisms
The oceans as new regions
India’s security imagination of the Bay of Bengal
Globalisation redux
Institutions and the great power bargain in East Asia
Dark corners of alliance politics
The Bay of Bengal Subzone Within the Indo-Pacific
Waylaid by Contradictions
Great Powers and Hierarchical Order in Southeast Asia
The Balance of Power in the Balance
Global Conflict Intensity and Great Power Summitry Behavior
Silk Roads and Strings of Pearls
The Paradoxical Nature of State Making
Absolute and Relative Gains in International Relations Theory
| Altamente citado | No |
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