Geography is destiny. Nowhere is that true more than in the Brahmaputra basin, where China's position as an upper riparian state transformed this shared river into an instrument of silent coercion. Illustration by The Geostrata The Yarlung Tsangpo as it is called in Tibet before it flows down into Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang and spreads into Assam as the mighty Brahmaputra is not just a watercourse but a lifeline for many as it sustains agriculture, drinking water and ecol

Mandala is a Sanskrit term, meaning “Circles”. The Mandala theory was given by Kautilya, an ancient Indian philosopher and strategic...