Securing the Indian Frontier in Central Asia: Confrontation and Negotiation, 1865-1895

Throughout the nineteenth century, Central Asia was the scene of periodic confrontations between Britain and Russia. These caused serious concern and heightened emotions in both countries, resulting in prolonged tensions between the two empires. Moderates tried to settle the problem by the negotiation of 'neutral zones', or firm boundaries, but the issue was bedevilled by considerable ignorance of the geographical realities of the region, and still more by inconsistency of policy, mutual mistrust and lack of judgement of the true intentions of the opposing party.This book is a careful and detailed analysis of the most intense and important decades of the whole century in the region. The author examines of the strategic thinking and diplomatic discourse which underlay the whole period, and in particular of the succession of efforts to establish a frontier, which eventually brought the period to a close without a major confrontation being provoked. Based on relevant records in the PRO and the British Library, as well as private papers, press comment, parliamentary debates and other contemporary accounts, Sir Martin Ewans provides a 'history of thought' of this crucial period in Central Asia.