Russian Foreign Policy
The seizure of Merv to Russia that occurred in 1884 was one of the significant stages in the expansionist policies during the Anglo-Russian contention in Turkistan. This resulted in the migration of all the Turkmens who live in under the rule of Russians. The British who believed that Russians had secret goals and plans in India were shocked to realize the Russians move in Asia. The Anglo Russian rivalry reached a level of conflict at the time of Russian seizure of Merv. The Turkmens suffered under the corrupt and militaristic Russian ruling, but they hardly changed their cultures. However, the Russians started to occupy their cities.
Anglo-Russian Rivalry of Merv
The British began to have fear because of the Russian move to central Asia. They feared because they were concerned about their safety in England and India. The Russia threat in India seemed quite real because their empire was expanding significantly. In early nineteenth century, the Russian and British empires were separated by over 2000 miles. This reduced significantly and in some regions of Pamir. After seizing economically and strategically significant parts and suppressing some parts of Bukhara and Khokand and establishing Turkistan in 1867, Tashkent became the capital city. The Russians always made more efforts to invade Turkistan. The British were aware of this, and they got extremely alarmed. The British got more cautious during the Afghan war and the murder of two agents in Bukhara.
In 1872, when the Russian threat against Khanate of Khiva was imminent, the British got shocked that Russia also threatened India, which was one of the most valuable possessions. The British were worried that if the Russians got more close to India, dangerous things would occur in the area. The British could not take any chance in risking their affairs in Turkistan. However, the British preferred to hold Afghanistan that had one of the most significant passes like Bolan and Khayber.
For the British to have a consensus with Russians over Afghanistan, they held meetings with them and sent messengers and messages to Russia. In 1869, Douglas Forsyth went to Russia to pass a message that was in note form. The note proved to the Russians that the British did not have any past the borders of Afghanistan. The borders that the Russians and the British proposed in the meeting of Prince Gorchakov and Lord Clarendon were in the north of Afghanistan. The only problem was the limit of the boundary.
The British had a policy that was designed to keep away the Russians from invading the warm waters and preventing Russians from threatening India. During the great game, Russians campaign against Khiva was a significant move. In 1873, when the Russians advanced in Khiva, the British became considerably anxious and fearful. However, after the conquering of Khiva by Russians, the British got more concerned on the ways of keeping Afghanistan and Iran in their control. Despite of the agreements in the thoughts of the imperialists, Russia conquered most parts of central Asia.
During this period, Russia was involved in another war against the Ottomans, in the near East. While the Russians were battling in the Ottoman front, both in the Balkans and Caucasus, they were also thinking of sending soldiers to Herat to conquer the city. Although they could hardly conquer Heart, the Russians sent some military force that was stationed at Balkh. This force stayed there until the signing of the Berlin treaty occurred in 1878. The Russians who feared that the British were setting up their rule in both central Asia and Afghanistan made them more active in forwarding their policies. One of the Russians named Terentiev argued that the British wanted to monopolize central Asians. Terentiev also said that the British were arming the Turkmens secretly to fight the Russians. For Russia to terminate the British intrigues, Terentiev said that Russia ought to pass the forward policy with the aim of reaching India and terminating the British dominance.
The aim of Russia was to seize the entire Turkmen lands that stretched from Caspian Sea to Afghanistan. To observe the Russian activities and get information about Turkmen, the British agents became active in Afghanistan and Persia. One of the agents was George Napier, who inspected the Persian borders in the north. Russia’s scheme to move its Caucasus army in the Turkmen lands to seize Herat and develop pressure with British India was done by the military campaign.
While the 1881 Russian move brought it near India and Afghanistan, the British were optimistic that they would concur with the Russians to possess India safely. One significant way of strengthening the British defense for India was to incorporate Merv within the British. The Merv were aware that they would be under the Russian Bondage. They were even ready to accept the British. The view in India was that the Russians were stronger than the British, and the Afghans were developing more policies of Russians because of the supremacy of Russia.
Bibliography
Riasanovsky, Nicholas V.; Steinberg, Mark D.: A History of Russia. (8th ed., combined volume)
New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Yetişgin, Memet. The Times of London, Russians Expansion into Central Asia, 1850-1900,
Unpublished doctoral thesis, Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University. 2000.
