Turkmens in Russia’s Foreign Policy in Central Asia, Early to Mid 19th Century

Abstract

Introduction. The article examines the politics of Persia, the Russian Empire, Great Britain, and the Khiva Khanate in their relations with Turkmens in the west of the Central Asian region, with special attention given to the dynamics of Russian and Persian interaction on the issue of Turkmen’s territories in the first half of the 19th c. At the time, Turkmens, lacking any central organization, were a multitude of related and opposing clans, each of which strove to preserve its traditional way of life; their actions were concerted only during the periods of Persian aggression. The present article aims at studying the Turkmens’ history of the period in the context of their struggle for independence against regional and world powers. Materials and methods. The research is based on a great variety of Iranian, Russian, and English sources, shedding light on their diplomatic activities in the region and the role of Turkmen clans. Thus, the material is examined, with a focus on the role of Turkmens in Russian and Iranian relations; this innovative approach is intended to fill in the existing gap in the research. Several methods employed in the study were as follows: criticism and analysis of written sources, analysis of phenomena and summing up of the results obtained, induction and deduction; these facilitated an understanding of the general international context in the Transcaspian subregion of Central Asia and of the Turkmens’ part in the regional geopolitics. Notably, Turkmens are not viewed purely in ethnocultural terms, but rather as an object and subject of the Great Game in the East because, undoubtedly, they took efforts to influence the course of geopolitics in the region. Conclusion. Actively resisting their traditional enemies ― Persians and Khivans ― and maneuvering between the leading powers in the struggle for their independence, the Turkmen clans became participants in the Great Game in Central Asia.

Keywords

• russian empire
• iran
• central asia
• turkmens
• military-geographical expeditions
• diplomacy
• geopolitics