I do love learning about things of which I know nothing, and this certainly fits the bill. A vague knowledge of the “Great Game” was the entire extent of my knowledge before listening to the New Books Network podcast with Alexander Morrison, author of The Russian Conquest of Central Asia: A Study of Imperial Expansion 1814-1914.
It is big on the “why” question – always a fascinating one, and the author is scathing about some traditional theories, The claim that the mill owners wanted new supplies of cotton after the disruption of the American Civil War? The dates don’t add up and anyway, the bourgeoisie really didn’t have that kind of political power. That the Russians were seeking to challenge the British in India? A typically Anglo-centric view not backed up Russian evidence. That individual figures were running freelance operations without reference to the centre? Occasionally and marginally, but only rarely. You don’t assemble 1,000s of camels without the czar knowing about it, and funding it.
The answer? That Russia wanted to establish its status as a Great Power after its defeat of Napoleon. And that it couldn’t tolerate smaller fry on its borders who didn’t dance to its tune – and indeed sometimes raided and took slaves from among its people.
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