On the Eve of the “Great Game”: Specifics of the Russian Empire’s Policy in Central Asia in the 18th to the First Half of the 19th Centuries

Abstract

The article offers an analysis of the issues related to the policy of the Russian Empire in Central Asia during the 18th to the first half of the 19th centuries. Despite the seemingly thorough examination of this aspect of Russian foreign policy, there are still issues that want further investigation, clarification, or are subject to debate, particularly with regards to the period leading up to the mid-19th century. The article delves into the causes, chronological parameters, and participants of the Great Game, the methods employed by the parties to the conflict, the reasons for Russia’s relatively slow incursion into this region, as well as the attitude of the rulers of Central Asian states and the local populace towards the Russians and the British.
 The authors conclude that initially, England’s main competitor in Central Asia was not Russia but France; the inception of the geopolitical conflict between Russia and UK should be dated back to 1800–1801, with its most active phase beginning in the 1830s. It’s also highlighted that the strategies employed by Britain and Russia bore similarities, combining both overt and covert diplomacy with the use of military force.
 This article is aimed at educators and students interested in international relations in the Asian region from the 18th to the first half of the 19th centuries.