Key Themes from Monsoon

1. Monsoon Key Themes and Characters The Indian Ocean and the battle for supremacy in the 21st century

2. Sultan Qabus bin Sa’id One of the key characters Kaplan discusses in Sultan Qabus, the dictator of Oman. Kaplan portrays Qabus to be a very liberal, intellectual, cosmopolitan leader. Qabuscomposes classical music, supports the environment, supports women rights and consistently reflects adequately on the state department’s annual human rights reports. Kaplan says that Qaboos rescued a country that was suffering from anarchy in the 1970 from the reactionary Sultan Sa’id in a nearly bloodless coup and stabilized the nation by building a strong government structure. Kaplan uses the character to argue that a nation doesn’t need democracy to have an enlightened civil society. In fact, Kaplan boldly asserts that “Oman’s happy situation owes less to Western technology and democracy than to the reinvigoration of certain feudal practiced…” Although Oman was once heavily fragmented by warring religious factions, decrepit infrastructure, and a corrupt government, Qabus built wells, roads, and bridges while winning over factions by providing amnesty. According to Kaplan, Qabus poised Oman for development as a modern state. Kaplan describes Qabus’ government as a neo-medieval system that comprised elements of democracy even though Qabus retains absolute power. Qabus was able to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity by preserving traditional cultural customs and practices while introducing national unity and some Western notions of democracy.

3. Lord George Nathaniel Curzon Another main character Kaplan discusses is Lord George Nathaniel Curzon—the British viscera of India from 1899 to 1905. Curzon’s India included what is today India, Burma, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Curzon had a strategic vision for India where it could be the dominant power stretching from the Middle East to Southeast Asia. Curzon believed that “the master of India…must be the greatest power in the Asiatic Continent.” To achieve this goal Curzon perceived the important of how seas connected civilizations and in particular viewed the Indian Ocean as a key strategic and crowded area. Kaplan argues that many Indian intellectuals and leaders admire Curzon and see his vision as a relevant geostrategist. Moreover, according to Kaplan “Curzon will be remembered because he restored all that was beautiful in India.” Today, India feels boxed in by China’s port projects. Therefore, India wants to expand its zones of influence. Hence, neo-Curzonism is a tendency among those Indian strategic thinkers who anticipate economic growth and preach foreign policies to expand India’s global clout. Curzon ruled in India for seven years shifting focus on foreign affairs. In this arena, he desired to expand Indian spheres of influence while defending India's frontiers from possible Russian expansion and competition.

4. Islam: A Seafaring Tradition Another theme is the discussion of Islam in the context of the religions seafaring tradition. Kaplan argues that Islam is a religion of sophisticated, cosmopolitan merchants who spread the faith across the seas from Middle East into the South Seas and Far East. Half of the Muslims in the world live in the Eurasian region Kaplan discusses in his book. However, Kaplan tries to show that only in the Middle East has the religion been politicalized. In many nations around the Greater Indian Ocean, radical and extremist Islam is weak. Kaplan seeks to challenge the western perception of Islam as a closed militaristic faith. Located in the Middle East, bordered by Jordan, the West Bank, and Israel, the Dead Sea is known as a place of healing for many. Yet according to Islamic tradition it stands as a sign of God's punishment. According to the Qur’an it is the site of ancient city of Sodom where people were ignorant, wicked, evildoers. The Prophet Muhammad reportedly tried to dissuade people form visiting the sites of God’s punishment.

5. Postcolonialism in Eurasia Kaplan discusses postcolonial characteristics of Eurasian nations. Specifically, he shows how the former colonies were Dutch controlled are completely different from the Portuguese colonies. Kaplan argues that the Portuguese were first western power to implement a comprehensive structuring—establishing ports and trading bases across the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, the Portuguese had romantic notion of Catholicism that attracted many converts. Vasco da Gama's discovery of a new sea route to India in 1498 paved the way for European commerce with India. The Portuguese soon set up trading-posts in Goa, Daman, Diu and Bombay. Next came the Dutch. Goods from across the globe flowed through the ports of Holland. Soon Dutch entrepreneurs established New Netherland, a series of trading posts, towns, and forts up and down the Hudson River that laid the groundwork for towns that still exist today. Conversely, the Dutch left much less of a footprint on the Indian Ocean. Kaplan shows that both Portugal and Dutch were extremely cruel to their colonials. Since neither imperialist power respected Muslims and equal human beings, there was essentially a clash of cultures.