Mongolia, the only independent state of Central Asia, has a long history of strategic importance. Its geographical location between China and Russia affected its political status in modern times. Its emergence as an independent state in 1921 was due to the Sino-Soviet rivalry for domination there. It was so at the time of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1924 and it was so at the time of the conclusion of the alliance between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1950. But it was not so on the occasion of the Sino-Soviet summit in Beijing on 15-18 May 1989. Mongolia between China and the USSR is an attempt to understand the abovementioned development, especially its implications in the context of Mongolia's strategic position between China and the USSR since 1949. This study has been done on the basis of the author's own observations in Mongolia, not only on the traditional resources. The author hopes that his study will contribute, however modestly, to a proper understanding of the importance of Mongolia's position between China and the Soviet Union since 1949.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ram Rahul
Ram Rahul is a foremost scholar and doyen of Central Asian Studies. He was awarded fellowship by Rockefeller Foundation to study Central Asia during 1952-54. In 1959 he received the first-ever UGC fellowship for Central Asia in Indian School of International Studies, New Delhi. Then he joined the Indian School of international Studies as Reader/Associate Professor in Deptt. of Central Asian History and Institutions. He retired as Professor of Central Asian Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Soon after retirement, he taught the history of Central Asia abroad. The UNESCO gave him a short fellowship to visit centers of Central Asian studies in Europe in 1971. The Ford Foundation (New Delhi) gave him a grant to visit centres of Central Asian studies in the United States in 1981. During 1982-83 residencies of the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations in Bellagio (Italy) and Washington, DC enabled him to work on the historiography of Central Asia from the ancient time to 1949-50. The UNESCO invited him to its consultation meetings on the civilizations of Central Asia during 1968-73. It also invited him to attend conferences on Central Asia held in Soviet Central Asia, Afghanistan and Mongolia. Prof. Ram Rahul has extensively traveled in Asia and elsewhere in connection with Central Asian studies. Other than contributions to the house journal International Studies, he has written ten articles for international journals and more than 25 books such as Central Asia: A Textbook History.
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