Vestnik of Orenburg State Pedagogical University. Electronic Scientific Journal. 2022. № 2 (42). P. 140—154
HISTORICAL SCIENCES
UDC 94(47)“1878/1879”
Vasilyev Dmitry Valentinovich, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor
Moscow City University
AFGHANISTAN AT THE СENTER OF THE GREAT GAME. 1878—1879. ACTION ONE: “INDIAN CAM-PAIGN” OF K. P. KAUFMAN
Abstract
Russian historical science still does not have a narrative of the “Indian campaign”. It is mentioned as an episode of Russian-British relations in Central Asia. Published sources are left without analysis and generalization. This article presents the history of the “Indian campaign”, inscribed in the context of Russian-British relations in Europe and Asia. The applied methods of criticism and analysis of diplomatic documents, memoirs of participants in the events make it possible to reconstruct the dynamics of foreign policy events caused by the Russian-Turkish war of 1877—1878. The article shows how the Russian government tried to use military pressure on the UK from Afghanistan in order to solve European problems. Furthermore, a significant part of the event participants at that time believed in the reality of Russia’s military-political steps in Central Asia. Nevertheless, the “Indian campaign” of the Turkestan troops was originally conceived only as a military demonstration in order to make the British government more accommodating at the Berlin Congress. On the way to this, Russian diplomats have achieved significant success in attracting Emir Shir-Ali to their side. All these steps should certainly be considered part of successful Russian diplomacy. One way or another, but relations with the neighboring state did not deteriorate.
Key words
Indian campaign, Russian-Turkish war of 1877—1878, Afghanistan, Great Game, Turkestan, Shir-Ali, K. P. Kaufman, Berlin Congress.
1. Abdurrakhman. Avtobiografiya Abdurakhman-khana emira Afganistana. T. 1 [Autobiography of Abdurahman Khan, Emir of Afghanistan. Vol. 1]. St. Petersburg, V. Berezovskii Publ., 1901. 388 p. (In Russian)
2. “Bol’shaya igra” v Tsentral’noi Azii: “Indiiskii pokhod” russkoi armii: sbornik arkhiv. dokumentov [“Great Game” in Central Asia: “Indian campaign” of the Russian army. A collection of archival documents]. Moscow, Novyi khronograf Publ., 2014. 358 p. (In Russian)
3. Vasil’ev D. V. Bremya imperii. Administrativnaya politika Rossii v Tsentral’noi Azii. Vtoraya polovina XIX v. [Burden of the empire. Russian administrative policy in Central Asia. Second half of the 19th century]. Moscow, Politicheskaya entsiklopediya Publ., 2018. 638 p. (In Russian)
4. Vasil’ev D. V. Polpred Rossiiskoi imperii [Plenipotentiary of the Russian Empire]. Voenno-istoricheskii zhurnal, 2003, no. 4, pp. 46—49. (In Russian)
5. Vasil’ev D. V. Reorganizatsiya kazakhskogo obshchestvennogo upravleniya v kontekste stolypinskoi agrarnoi reformy [Reorganization of Kazakh public administration in the context of the Stolypin agrarian reform]. Vestnik Orenburgskogo gosudarstvennogo pedagogicheskogo universiteta. Elektronnyi nauchnyi zhurnal — Vestnik of Orenburg State Pedagogical University. Electronic Scientific Journal, 2019, no. 4 (32), pp. 80—89. Available at: http://www.vestospu.ru/archive/2019/articles/6_32_2019.pdf. DOI: 10.32516/2303-9922.2019.32.6. (In Russian)
6. Vasil’ev D. V. Rossiiskaya imperiya v Tsentral’noi Azii: opyt upravleniya okrainoi [Russian Empire in Central Asia: Peripheral Administration Experience]. Elektronnyi nauchno-obrazovatel’nyi zhurnal “Istoriya” — The Journal of Education and Science “ISTORIYA” (“History”), 2019, vol. 10, no. 8 (82). Available at: https://history.jes.su/s207987840006019-9-1/. DOI: 10.18254/S207987840006019-9. (In Russian)
7. Vasil’ev D. V. Forpost imperii. Administrativnaya politika Rossii v Tsentral’noi Azii. Seredina XIX veka [Outpost of the empire. Russian administrative policy in Central Asia. Mid 19th Century]. Moscow, IBP Publ., 2015. 303 p. (In Russian)
8. Vasil’ev D. V., Vasil’ev S. D. K voprosu o rossiiskom kul’turnom vliyanii na povsednevnost’ narodov Tsentral’noi Azii vo vtoroi polovine XIX — nachale XX v. [On the problem of the Russian cultural influence on the everyday life of the peoples of Central Asia in the second half of the 19th — early 20th century]. Voprosy istorii, 2021, no. 10-1, pp. 47—58. (In Russian)
9. Vasil’ev D. V., Mazaev N. A. Zakaspiiskaya zheleznaya doroga kak faktor regional’noi politiki Rossiiskoi imperii v Tsentral’noi Azii (po materialam pressy) [The Trans-Caspian Railway as a Factor of the Regional Policy of the Russian Empire in Central Asia (Based on Press Materials)]. Industrial’noe stroitel’stvo v Tsentral’noi Azii: istoricheskoe znachenie dlya regiona [Industrial Construction in Central Asia: Historical Significance for the Region]. Barnaul, Altaiskii gos. un-t Publ., 2020, pp. 14—23. (In Russian)
10. Vasil’ev S. D. Turkmeny v kontekste regional’noi vneshnei politiki v Tsentral’noi Azii pervoi poloviny XIX v. [The Turkmens in Russia’s Foreign Policy in Central Asia, Early to Mid 19th Century]. Oriental Studies, 2021, no. 4, pp. 658—672. (In Russian)
11. Zagorodnikova T. N. “Indiiskii pokhod” Aleksandra II i ego posledstviya [“Indian campaign” of Alexander II and its consequences]. Aziya i Afrika segodnya — Asia and Africa Today, 2005, no. 11 (580), pp. 51—53. (In Russian)
12. Zagorodnikova T. N. “Indiiskii pokhod” russkoi armii [“Indian campaign” of the Russian army]. Vostok. Afro-Aziatskie obshchestva: istoriya i sovremennost’ — Vostok (Oriens), 2004, no. 3, pp. 134—142. (In Russian)
13. Zagorodnikova T. N. “Indiiskii pokhod” russkoi armii i missiya generala N. G. Stoletova v Kabul [“Indian campaign” of the Russian army and the mission of General N. G. Stoletov to Kabul]. Vostok. Afro-Aziatskie obshchestva: istoriya i sovremennost’ — Vostok (Oriens), 2006, no. 4, pp. 21—36. (In Russian)
14. Istoriya Afganistana. T. 2 [History of Afghanistan. Vol. 2]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1965. 551 p. (In Russian)
15. Mazaev N. A. Ekonomika Russkogo Turkestana v kontse XIX — nachale XX v.: k voprosu o monokul’turakh [The economy of Russian Turkestan in the late 19th — early 20th centuries: on the issue of monocultures]. Tsentral’naya Aziya na perekrestke evropeiskikh i aziatskikh politicheskikh interesov: XVIII—XIX vv. [Central Asia at the crossroads of European and Asian political interests: 18—19th centuries]. Moscow, OntoPrint Publ., 2020, pp. 56—72. (In Russian)
16. Posol’stvo generala Stoletova v Afganistane (1878—1879 gg.): sb. dok. [Embassy of General Stoletov in Afghanistan (1878—1879). A collect. of documents]. Tashkent, 1948. 155 p. (In Russian)
17. Rossiya i Afghanistan [Russia and Afghanistan]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1989. 208 p. (In Russian)
18. Rossiya i Indiya [Russia and India]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1986. 354 p. (In Russian)
19. Snesarev A. E. Afghanistan [Afghanistan]. Moscow, Gos. izd-vo Publ., 1921. 244 p. (In Russian)
20. Sobolev L. N. Anglo-Afganskaya rasprya: (Ocherk voiny 1879—1880 gg.). Vyp. 1—8 [Anglo-Afghan strife: (Outline of the war of 1879—1880). Iss. 1—8]. St. Petersburg, Tip. d-ra M. A. Khana Publ., 1880—1885. (In Russian)
21. Terent’ev M. A. Istoriya zavoevaniya Srednei Azii. T. 2 [History of the conquest of Central Asia. Vol. 2]. St. Petersburg, Tipo-lit. V. V. Komarova Publ., 1906. 547 p. (In Russian)
22. Khidoyatov G. A. Iz istorii anglo-russkikh otnoshenii v Srednei Azii v kontse XIX v. (60—70-kh gg.) [From the history of Anglo-Russian relations in Central Asia at the end of the 19th century (60—70s)]. Tashkent, Fan Publ., 1969. 456 p. (In Russian)
23. Yuldashbaeva F. Kh. Iz istorii angliiskoi kolonial’noi politiki v Afganistane i Srednei Azii [From the history of British colonial policy in Afghanistan and Central Asia]. Tashkent, Gosizdat UzSSR Publ., 1963. 191 p. (In Russian)
24. Yuldashbaeva F. Russko-afganskie razgranicheniya i usilenie angliiskoi agressii v Srednei Azii i Afganistane (1872—1880) [Russian-Afghan demarcations and strengthening of British aggression in Central Asia and Afghanistan (1872—1880)]. Trudy Sredneaziatskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta [Proceedings of the Central Asian State University]. Tashkent, 1955, is. 68, pp. 73—105. (In Russian)
25. Yavorskii I. L. Puteshestvie russkogo posol’stva po Avganistanu i Bukharskomu khanstvu v 1878—1879 gg. T. 1 [Journey of the Russian Embassy in Afghanistan and the Bukhara Khanate in 1878—1879. Vol. 1]. St. Petersburg, Tip. d-ra M. A. Khana Publ., 1882. 383 p. (In Russian)
Bibliography link to this article:
Vasilyev D. V. Afghanistan at the Сenter of the Great Game. 1878—1879. Action One: “Indian Campaign” of K. P. Kaufman. Vestnik of Orenburg State Pedagogical University. Electronic Scientific Journal, 2022, no. 2 (42), pp. 140—154. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32516/2303-9922.2022.42.11.