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Today, the economies of China and India are growing fastest in the world. Both are driving hard to revive their once lost pride and status in the world stage. They are increasingly expanding their influence beyond their natural sphere of influence. Their vast lands, massive population further enhance their capabilities to achieve great power status. Despite many positive accounts, both countries are vulnerable when they confronts with their domestic challenges which encompasses mass poverty, unemployment, uneven economic growth, widespread environmental degradation, and increasing social unrest. The biggest threat that they face today comes from within their society rather than outside. The states of China and India, comprise numerous ethnic minorties which have been resistant to accept state rule since their incorporation into respective republics. The general view in the government of both states is that both have implemented the policies of "Carrot and Sticks" in handling ethnic issues. The dilemma, both are going through is, despite repetitive demonstrating themselves as a 'responsible power' or 'soft power' or strong states in international domain, they are domestically 'weak states' which largely constrains their internal and external behavior. In my proposal I will endeavor to address how far both states have been successful or failed in maintaining domestic societal cohesion and whether the incorporation of ethnic minorities regions have weaken the national cohesion and turn the states into weak entities or vice versa. The cases chosen for my study includes Tibet and Xinjiang in China, and Kashmir and northeastern states in India. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through historical process tracing I find that: 1) leadership priorities, 2) state capacity, and 3) national stability explain most of the variation in human development and poverty alleviation in China and India from 1950-2000. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]