International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest

Extract

A recurring theme through Central Asian history is protest and rebellion against foreign occupying powers. Contacts with ancient cultures like Greece, Persia, and regions in the East, Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia both antagonized and enriched Central Asia. Each of these invaders, in turn, introduced customs and language that Central Asians assimilated in complex ways. In the mid- to late nineteenth century, tsarist Russia asserted its dominance over Central Asia. During the 1700s and mid-1800s, the Russians had already incorporated much of Central Asia, including the Khivan Khanate and the Bukharan Emirate. The British in South Asia viewed Russia's capture of the Bukharan Emirate as a potential threat to its interests in the region. In what is known as “The Great Game,” the English and the Russians struggled for access, control, and occupation of Central Asia. The Russo-Anglo battles for control over this area killed thousands of people. One imperial decree that reverberated in Central Asia up to the early twentieth century was the replacement of subsistence farming with cash crops, a practice that was widespread throughout the world during the era. The tsars resettled ( pereselenie ) ethnic Russian peasants into these new territories, creating local resentment and Central Asian ethnic groupings. Russian expansionism, national chauvinism, and supremacy remained a point ... log in or subscribe to read full text