The Great Game

When the Great Game stopped in 1895, the panslavic movements in eastern Europe were starting to pick up steam. Could those two events be linked? Russia gets cockblocked form warm water ports in central Asia and now wants to get them in the Mediterranean.

Please continue op, it's a quality thread.

Those are not only related, panslavism is a direct consequence of Russia getting cucked out of India. Before that they didn't give a fuck about Slavs, see how they helped the Austrians in 49.

Bump

Little known fact; Napoleon almost convinced Russia to go to war with Britain by invading India.

>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_March_of_Paul

Alright, I will continue now. This story is a very long one the way I'm telling it though. There are tons of explorations, wars, and other accounts on the ground, and I intend on going through many of them. Some parts of this might get boring, but I assure you it will never stay that way for long. I will now be talking more about what the Russians are doing, but if any of you want more clarification into the journey of Christie and Pottinger, I'd be happy to give you more information on their travels. What they go through is absolutely crazy, though to save time and give all parts of this story some of the spotlight, I've decided to omit them unless people explicitly request more about them.

I'll admit that I'm not entirely informed about the ethnography of Great Game areas. I might make future mistakes when showing other maps, so sorry in advance for that.

It was at this time that the Russians drove Napoleon out of their lands. As they campaigned, the Russians were observed by a British General, Sir Robert Wilson. He was sent only to look at and report all that was going on in the Russian army. Despite being a non-combatant, he earned great trust in Tsar Alexander by actively participating in various offenses. However, upon return to London he reported an account nobody expected.

His book was shocking to the British public. He claimed the Russians participated in multiple atrocities against the French prisoners, including burying them alive, and leaving them naked in the frigid Russian winter. He also claimed they were inactive against the French, and said "Had I commanded 10,000 or might I say 5000 men, Bonaparte would never again have sat upon the throne of France."

I'm guessing you've read Tournament of Shadows? What did you think of it? Good history, or mostly superficial? I enjoyed it, although I thought it lost focus towards the end.

However, Wilson was not done yet. Four years later he anonymously published another book, 'A Sketch of the Military and Political power of Russia'. The book, in which he claimed that the Russians were intent on taking the Constantinople and the Ottoman Empire in addition to British India, was a bestseller. He supported his claim by pointing out that the Russians owned a huge army and were still building it up. The book brought immediate controversy. Some called Wilson a fear-monger, while others welcomed his timely remarks.

I've read a few different books on the Great Game as the topic has fascinated me ever since I read Kim. I am mostly basing this off of 'Tournament of Shadows' and 'The Great Game'. The only reason I made this thread is that I am heavily interested in this topic. I love threads like these where people can learn cool information. I just wish they happened more often on this board. Seems like Veeky Forums has become a cesspool for the past few weeks.

Persians and Turks had been in conflict with the Russians for a while. At one point they even set aside their differences to fight Russia together. However, as Russia moved its forces away from the South, it made peace with Turkey, giving back all the land they had gained. This now left only Persia to fight against. With only one enemy the Russian forces could concentrate their power.

At one night in 1812, a Russian force of 29 people crossed the Aras river. They attacked a much larger, but unsuspecting Persian camp. In the camp were two British officers who were helping out the Persians against their Russian enemies. Captain Christie, the same man who journeyed with Pottinger, and Lieutenant Henry Lindsay. As the Russians attacked them, both commanded the Persian forces. The son of the Shah, Abbas Mirza, was also present in the fighting. Suffering heavy casualties, the Persians retreated. They left behind Captain Christie, who died by a bullet to the head.

Just realized I fucked something up with the flow of these paragraphs. Oh well. Also it was not a force of 29, the general himself, Kotliarevsky, was 29 years old.

The brief encounter left near huge numbers of Persians dead. The Russians on the other hand lost only 127 men. Kotliarevsky now marched his troops East to the Caspian Sea. It was here that the Persian stronghold of Lenkoran stood. After 5 days of intense fighting, the Russians one. Casualties on both sides were large. The Persians at Lenkoran were killed to a man. Not a single man out of the 4000 who lived their survived. Russians lost almost two-thirds of their men as well. Kotliarevsky was found semi-conscious, with bullet wounds in his head. He would earn one of the highest honors a Russian general could ever receive, but his head injuries would prevent him from being able to take control of the entire Russian army at the Caspian area. Should I continue, or have people lost interest in it?

Continue man.
And boy was Wilson a dick.

Please continue

pls go on

>It's a user educates you on something you didn't know about kinda episode

thanks user, people like you are what makes Veeky Forums still worth visiting

Alright, finally have some free time so I will continue on.

The treaty between Russia and Persia would make the Russian border almost 250 miles closer to that of British India. This would not be the end for British worries either. It was at this time that the final bits of the information gathered by Christie and Pottinger were being compiled and analyzed. The report summed up that while an invasion by sea was near impossible, an invasion by land would have multiple routes of entrance. Even this was not the end of it though, as now was the time for the first true Russian players of the game.

Captain Nikolai Muraviev was tasked with one mission, to reach the Central Asian city of Khiva. Almost 100 years earlier, Russians had tried and failed to conquer the city. The Khan of Khiva was wary of the Russians, he knew their eyes has been set on their city for years. The plan was to try and woo him over with promises of trade, and then at the right moment, conquer them.

thank you for an excellent thread OP

Muraviev set out from Tiflis, in modern day Georgia. In order to get to Khiva, he would have to cross the deadly Karakum desert. Here lay violent tribes of Turkmen who made their livings off of enslaving Persians and Russians. He first sailed across the Caspian, and onto its desolate eastern shore. He got off from there, and then decided to join up with a Caravan for protection. Muraviev disguised himself as a fellow Turkmen, though members of the Caravan all knew his secret. The journey was mostly uneventful, but five days before reaching Khiva a member of the town they went through called him out through his disguise. Some of his fellow Caravan men came to the rescue though, by claiming that he was their slave that they had just captured.

Once he left the Karakum and entered the fertile lands near the Oxus river, he sent out some men to go and tell the Khan of his arrival. He would later be escorted towards the great mud-brick walls of Khiva.

Trouble arrived almost immediately. Muraviev was quickly led to a fort, and it didn't take him long to figure out that he was essentially a prisoner of the Khan. The Khan himself was furious at the Turkmen traders who aided Muraviev on his journey. It was quite clear to him that the Russian was a spy, and that if they let him go, they would next see him leading the army that would be his own ultimate downfall.

The Khan struggled back and forth with his advisers about what to do with the nuisance on their hands. One adviser suggested burying him alive, though the Khan rightly countered that idea by claiming that it gave the Russians a Casus Belli. After seven weeks they decided to hear out what the foreigner had to say. Muraviev finally had his chance.

Nice thread op bump

Muraviev was given a one day notice of his about the plans made to meet him. The message was timely, as he was already in the midst of planning out a daring escape by horseback. The next day he was led into walls of Khiva, where his arrival created an uproar among the natives. Many clamored to try and see him in person. As he rode through the streets, Muraviev noticed the many Russian slaves. A few of them would whisper in his ear to set him free.

Upon reaching the central yurt where the Khan lay, the Captain was pushed down and dragged inside. He struggled fiercely, fearing that the meeting was actually an execution. He was finally calmed upon hearing that this was simply a way of showing submission. Muraviev soon explained his reason for entering Khiva. He claimed that the Russians, who now owned most of the Caspian, wished to trade with Khiva through a new port town under construction.

In the early 1890s Chitral was an independent area to the North West of Kashmir. Chitral’s northern border ran with Russian Tajikistan in the area of the Pamirs known as the ‘Roof of the World’, separated from Russia by a thin tongue of Afghanistan. The whole of Chitral comprised mountains and fast flowing rivers. The few inhabitants, estimated at that time to be around 55,000, lived on the limited areas of soil alongside the rivers. In places where the rivers ran between steep cliffs the paths were made by inserting short wooden beams into crevices in the rock and covering them with flat stones and wood. Such paths might be only 2 or 3 feet wide and be above a drop of some distance into the torrent beneath.

On 30th August 1892 a long period of relative stability in Chitral came to an end with the death of Aman-ul-Mulk. His death unleashed a period of extreme violence and intrigue between the most prominent of his sons and his brother to secure the Mehtarship

On 1st February 1895 Surgeon Major Robertson arrived in Chitral with detachments from 14th Sikhs and 4th Kashmir Rifles. Robertson brought in his group another candidate for the Mehtarship, Shuja-ul-Mulk(nicknamed by the British troops ‘Sugar and Milk’), a younger son of the Great Mehtar.

there should be more storyteller threads like this on Veeky Forums

The Khan found the expected problem quickly. A caravan sent towards this port town would have to venture through Persian lands, where it could be easily plundered. It was this that the Russian Captain used to his advantage. Muraviev then said "If thou wilt but ally thyself to us, thy enemies shall also be our enemies." He suggested that the Khan send a Khivan official to visit Tiflis as the Tsar's guest.

With a successful mission under his belt, Muraviev now set out back home. But before he left, a single message was slipped to him in the barrel of a gun he sent for repair. It read "We venture to inform Your Honor that there are over 3,000 Russian Slaves in this country who have to endure unheard of suffering from hunger, cold, and overwork, as well as every kind of insult. Take pity on our plight and lay it before His Majesty the Emperor. In gratitude we poor prisoners pray to God for your welfare." As per his own inquiries into the subject, Muraviev discovered that if the slaves were not soon freed, they would revolt somewhere within the next 2 years.

For those wondering, this is not me, the OP. Though the story is connected to the Great Game, and It's one of the stories that I don't know all of the details about, so I welcome it. I might put on a trip if it becomes confusing for people.

Upon returning, Muraviev told his report to his superiors. He gave important information about Khiva and its ability to defend a Russian attack. Muraviev claimed that Khiva's conquering would take "3,000 brave soldiers." He based this number on the various things he observed at his time at Khiva, including army size and defenses. He also took into account the great number of slaves(3,000 Russians and almost 30,000 Persians and Kurds). He thought that they might prove valuable in the conquering of the city, as they had nothing to lose.

Later on Muraviev would set up a meeting with Tsar, and carry out the wishes of the slaves in Khiva by informing him of their plight. The Tsar kept this information handy, so that it may serve as a Casus Belli for later.

Well, I'm done for the night. I'll go into the rather tragic story of Moorcroft tomorrow.

bump

Bump

I shall hasten to /b/ to notify them
lol

My impression is that the Great Game was just British fearmongering, encouraged by the Navy and colonization lobbies to get more funding/support. Russia was actually never able to pose even an indirect threat to India. Such an undertaking was beyond 19th century's logistical capabilities. Surprisingly, Russia was never seriously interested in advance towards Central Asia. The expansion in that direction was rather undertaken opportunistically, without any master plan. Also, Russia saw Britain as her rival/enemy, but mostly because Britain wanted to contain Russia in Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus.

To be fair it is easier to say such things in hindsight. I have no doubt in my mind that to many people, the fear was real. Remember, India was the "Jewell in the Crown", being concerned for its safety was natural. I also do think that Russia could have posed a big threat to India, but at that point we tread close to what-if scenarios.

>Russia getting cucked out of India
but it didn't

Looks like this Wilson was a retard

>yfw Russia purposely tricked Britain into invading Afghanistan

Bump. Where are you, OP

Thank you for keeping the thread alive, my day was particularly busy, so sorry for not posting.

If one were to today travel along the banks of the Amu Darya/Oxus river, he might find himself upon a small, lonely, unmarked grave. It was here, that the British explorer William Moorcroft was buried. It would be nothing but a wooden cross, most likely rotting by now, if not gone entirely. Moorcroft was famed for being among some of the first people to set foot on Mount Kailash, in Tibet. So then how did his body end up in a such a desolate, barren area?

Moorcroft would find an obsession on his journey through Mount Kailash. He was simply there to acquire horses for the East India Company. However while staying at the house of a Tibetan Official, he found something that piqued his interest. He learned that the official owned two dogs, a terrier and a pug. The problem was that both of these dogs were European breeds. He asked the official about this and learned that he got them from Russian traders, but his own inquires led him to believe that these were actually military dogs. The finding would haunt him for the rest of his life, for now he was sure that Russians were up to something in Asia. Despite the popularity of Wilson's books, many were not entirely convinced of Russian plots. Moorcroft hounded his superiors in Calcutta about his fears of St. Petersburg, but they brushed them off.

Moorcroft was, as it turns out, obsessed with something else. It was his dream to see the Central Asian city of Bokhara. He was convinced that he would find great and strong horses there that the East India Company could use for its army. Moorcraft also had his own ulterior motive that tied back with his Russophobia: Opening up the markets of Central Asia to British trade. His wish was granted, in the Spring of 1819 he was given the go ahead to lead a 2000 mile expedition to Bokhara. On March 16, 1820, Moorcroft would set out on his journey across the Oxus.

Moorcroft decided to get to Bokhara by way of Chinese Turkestan. The easiest way into this would be to start from Leh, the capital of Ladakh in Northern India. After travelling across the Punjab for more than a year, he finally arrived, being the first Englishman to set foot there. Upon entering Leh, Moorcroft would attempt to establish contact with Chinese Authorities in Yarkand so that he may enter their territory. This was easier said than done, for the powerful merchant class was reluctant to anybody they feared might disrupt their monopoly on trade. Some merchants even told Chinese officials that Moorcroft was going to lead an army through the mountain passes and into their territory.

While Moorcroft stayed in Leh, his worst nightmare came alive. He found himself a Russian rival. The man, Mehkti Rafailov, claimed that he was simply a native trader who operated through the passes. Moorcroft refused to believe him, and through his own agents learned that he was Russian spy of Persian origin.

Aga Mehdi started out as a small-time peddler of cheap goods. As time went on though, he started selling more and more expensive items. He eventually found himself a business in Kashmiri Shawls. The shawls he sold were of great quality, and his fame as a merchant of them grew exponentially. The Tsar himself soon knew of his name, and Aga was ordered to come and meet him. The Tsar asked Aga to go and make commercial contacts with Ladakh and Kashmir for Russia. Aga succeeded in this mission, and for this he was rewarded. Aga was given a new, Russian name: Mehkti Rafailov, and he was now sent out on a more ambitious mission.

He was to go more South than he had ever gone before, to go meet the powerful king of the Sikh Empire, Ranjit Singh. He bore a letter with him that claimed that the Russian Empire wished to trade with the Ranjit Singh's merchants. Mehkti was staying in Leh while on his mission towards the Punjab. It was here that Moorcroft would learn of him.

...

Go read Otoyomegatari

great movie

How different would Russia be today if it had a warm port like Constantinople, Port Arthur or one in Persia/Pakistan?

Yeah I've seen it, it's awesome, but still just one movie. I can imagine a Witcher 3 type RPG where you play as a British / Russian officer.

keep going OP

If there was ever a doubt in Moorcroft's mind about Russia, it was all washed away now. He was wholly convinced, and it was here that his obsession caused him to overstep his authority. First, Moorcroft sent back his findings on Mehkti back to Calcutta, almost 1,100 miles away. Next he would set up a trade deal with British merchants in Ladakh, despite not owning the authority to do so. This was especially damning, for Ranjit Singh claimed that Ladakh was in his sphere of influence. Though worst of all would be Moorcroft's letter to the emperor himself. In his letter to Ranjit Singh, Moorcroft warned him that Ladakh was an independent state, and that incursions into it would not be tolerated. He did this too without proper authority. The emperor was enraged, and so too was the Company. Ranjit Singh boasted a powerful army that was modernized to the European standard of the day. The last thing the East India Company needed was to sour good relations with its powerful neighbor. The statement was immediately retracted, and Moorcroft sent an apology, though the damage was done.

The fury of the Emperor was unleashed now, for multiple attempts on Moorcroft's life were taken. One came from an unidentified gunman in the night. Another two attempts came from nocturnal invaders, one of which was shot dead. Soon Moorcraft and the rest his group started getting extremely sick. They found out it was poisoned tea, which they quickly disposed of.

It was quite clear to Moorcroft that he had made a misstep. His salary was cut, and he was ordered to return. However he and the group had longed to see Bokhara, and they would not stop now. So instead of going through Chinese Turkestan, they would go through the more dangerous route. Lawless Afghanistan, on the brink of civil war was the only way to go, and so Moorcraft and his small group of Gurkhas would travel through it.

As for Mehkti, he would be found dead of a mysterious affliction, high up in the mountain passes...

Please continue m8

I can see it now.

* Bring 5 Pashtun pelts to the Ambassador
* Find Mufti Zavar's lucky gourd

By all accounts, the chances of getting through Afghanistan were slim to none. But this would not stop Moorcroft and his team who set out for it in the spring of 1824. Wild stories preceded there arrival into Afghanistan. Some people claimed that Moorcroft was just the beginning of a huge force that would take over Afghanistan. Moorcroft himself advocated for this, if only so that the Russians may not get the country first. The Afghan summer was intense on the group. Despite Moorcroft being a veterinarian, two dogs had died from the heat. Moorcroft's group would also be the first Europeans to ever see the great Buddhist statues at Bamian(The same ones destroyed by the Taliban). If they had not been destroyed, you might be see Moorcroft's signature on its walls today.

After eight months since they crossed the Khyber Pass, Moorcraft and his group found themselves on the bank of the Oxus river. He would be the first Englishman to set foot there. After even more travelling through intense terrain, Moorcroft would make it to Bokhara. However when he entered the city, he was greeted by great numbers of curious children who called him a Russian. Moorcroft knew now that he had been beaten in his race towards Bokhara. His disappointment only grew as he learned that the the Central Asian horses he had hoped for were now long gone. His failure devastated him, and he now decided to turn back to India. In one final attempt to buy horses, Moorcroft would split up with his group and travel to another area. Here he would fall ill of fever and die, his body carried back and buried along the Oxus. Mysteriously, three other Europeans on the mission would quickly die in succession as well.

Moorcroft would not be remembered well immediately after his death. However many later players of the game would use his maps and descriptions to help them out in their own journeys through Central Asia.

Bump

>it's the 'I just read Peter Hopkirk' thread

In 1918 Russian Turkestan was in chaos. The Bolshevik Tashkent Soviet was under attack from various groups, including cossacks, who had claimed independence for their respective regions.

Concerned about the Bolsheviks and German and Turkish activity, the British Government decided to send a force to the area from India.

The first military action occurred when a machine gun detachment was sent across the Indian border to aid the Transcaspian forces against the Bolsheviks. The detachment of Indian gunners, led by a British officer, assisted some local units in a battle against the Tashkent Soviet Bolsheviks. The local units were outnumbered, disorganised and nearly defeated. However, the two Indian machine gun crews inflicted 350 casualties and prevented a total rout of the Transcaspians.

At this point, Malleson, against the wishes of the Indian Government, decided to push further into Transcaspia and attack the Bolsheviks. The combined force completed a double night march, and engaged and defeated the Bolsheviks at the Battle of Dushak.[6] The British/Transcapsian force suffering 60 killed & 180 wounded while inflicting 1,000 casualties on the Bolsheviks. The Anglo-Indian forces did most of the fighting, with the Transcaspian forces largely unreliable. A bayonet charge by the Punjabi infantry, as well as an attack by the 28th Cavalry, eventually drove off the Bolshevik forces.

The thing about the Great Game is that even though it "ended" in Central Asia, it had really just moved East. Russia and Britain started gobbling up and influencing as much Chinese territory as they could. The semi-ironic thing is that Russia was so focused on Britain in China that it allowed the Russo-Japanese War to happen the way it did.

Keep going OP this is great stuff

While Peter Hopkirks book is one of my main sources, to say it is my only source would be disingenuous and unfair.

That's not me, I won't be chronologically deviating from the story.

The British colonies in India in the early 19th Century were held by the Honourable East India Company, a powerful trading corporation based in London, answerable to its shareholders including powerful members of the British Parliament.

In the first half of the century France as the British bogeyman gave way to Russia, leading finally to the Crimean War in 1854. In 1839 the obsession in British India was that the Russians, extending the Tsar’s empire east into Asia, would invade India through Afghanistan.

In 1838 a joint Persian/Russian force laid siege to Herat, the important north western Afghan city. The British Viceroy in India, Lord Auckland, and his advisers planned an invasion of Afghanistan to combat the siege of Herat and to place an Ameer favourable to Britain on the throne in Kabul, the Afghan capital, in place of the existing incumbent, Dost Mohammed.

A force of two divisions from the Bengal Army under the commander in chief, Sir Harry Fane, assembled in Ferozepore on the border of the Punjab, as the Army of the Indus. The quickest route to Kabul was to march across the Punjab and enter Afghanistan by way of Peshawar and the Khyber Pass, but Ranjit Singh would never consent to such a large force crossing the Punjab. The invasion was route had to be through the southern passes, with the approach to Kabul via Kandahar and Ghuznee; a journey three times the distance of the direct route.

Before the march could begin news reached India that the Persians and Russians had abandoned the siege of Herat. The view of many British officials was that the reason for the invasion of Afghanistan had gone. Lord Auckland resolved to continue with his plan, although the size of the force was scaled down with the second Bengal division remaining as a reserve at Ferozepore. The nominated commander in chief of the army, Sir Harry Fane, refused to take further part in the venture, leaving the command to Sir John Keane.

A severe shortage of draft horses forced Keane to leave his siege train in Kandahar. On 21st July 1839 the army arrived before Ghuznee, an important town on the road to Kabul. Reconnaissance showed Ghuznee to be occupied in force and strongly fortified with a 70 foot wall and a flooded moat. The lack of a siege train was now severely felt. The town had to be taken before the final advance to Kabul and the only way was by storm, promising heavy losses.

The Army’s chief engineer, Colonel Thompson, reconnoitred the town and interviewed captured Afghans. This intelligence revealed that the garrison had sealed all the gates by piling stones and debris behind them; that is except the Kabul Gate to the North. Thompson observed this gate and saw an Afghan courier admitted to the town. The gate appeared to be clear and inadequately defended. This was the only possible point of assault. The Army marched around Ghuznee and camped on the north side to prepare for the attack.

At 3am on 23rd July 1839 a party of engineers commanded by Captain Peat of the Bombay Sappers and Miners moved to the gate. Lieutenant Durand commanded the explosion party.

Peat’s party rushed forward to the wall and Durand’s men placed powder bags and unrolled a length of quick match. The explosion blew in the gate.

The signal to attack was to be given by Peat’s bugler, but he was killed. Durand hurried back and brought forward the storming party. Dennie’s four light companies rushed through the shattered gate and met the Afghan defenders in a savage hand to hand fight in the semi-dark of the gate tunnel.

An Afghan counterattack cut Dennie’s party off from the supporting column. Sale was severely wounded by an Afghan swordsman as his men fought through. Finally the column cut its way through the gate into the streets beyond. The citadel was found to be undefended and the town was in British hands by dawn.

Keane left a garrison in Ghuznee and the Army marched on towards Kabul on 30th July 1839. When Dost Mohammed heard of the fall of Ghuznee, he sent to the British asking what terms he was offered. The answer was “honourable asylum in India”. This was not acceptable but his army would not fight. Dost Mohammed fled his capital, leaving it to the invading British and their puppet ruler, Shah Shujah.

10/10 thread

bump desu

bumpity bump

The truce between Russian and Persia was at this point beginning to fail. Persia was angry at its loss and it was slowly building up its forces. Hostilities broke out over an unclearly worded part of the last peace treaty. Persia claimed the area between Lake Sevan and Erivan. After talks broke down and Russia occupied the region, the Shah rallied up his forces and sneakily attacked. Russia was not ready for war, and so initial efforts to try and slow down the 30,000 troops pouring into their southern borders were futile. Key towns and forts like Lenkoram were recaptured by the Shah, and his troops even got close to Tiflis.

The new Tsar, Nicholas I quickly replaced the widely loved Russian general with another man, Count Paskievich. With new reinforcements on the way, Paskievich turned the tide of the war, and forced the Persians back, culminating in his capture of Erivan. Persia called on its ally, Great Britain, to help, for they had earlier signed a defense pact. The now embarrassed British got out of the situation by using a loophole in the wording of the pact. Britain would not have to come to Persia's aid if they were the aggressor in the situation. Britain later asked Persia to waive away the defense pact for a sum of money.

The situation would evaporate British influence in the Persian court. As Persia sued for peace, Russia would become the next nation to hold power over the Shah. Russian diplomats would now find themselves in Tehran. An ambassador by the name of Alexander Griboyedov would be sent to the Shah's court to ensure that all payments for the war would be on time. He was the same man who negotiated the humiliating peace treaty for the Persians.

Griboyedov would enter Tehran during the holy month of Muharram. Anti-Russian sentiment were running high, and the stage was set for a spark to light the powder keg.

If I wanted shit like this I'd read a book desu. Where's the discussion

Bumpo

>Griboyedov

His surname was literally "mushroom eater"? Jesus Christ.

bump this great thread again

Don't die on us...

Sorry that this thread keeps going so low, its just that it takes quite a bit of time to make more parts. I appreciate that people are bumping it though. Hopefully this won't be an issue tomorrow, I will try to add the occasional response to make sure that it doesn't go low and that the thread isn't filled with more bumps than actual posts.

>His surname was literally "mushroom eater"?
Griboyedov was also a renowned playwright and poet outside of his ambassador work

love your thread man seems like Veeky Forums is getting on the right track again.

i have some thing to give, first a glossary of words used on the north west frontier of India, a biography of captain James abbot known as Kaka(uncle) abbot in Pakistan as well as the founded of the Pakistani city Abbottdad, who helped started the game(in english minds) with his book Narrative of a Journey from Herat to Khiva. lastly some personal stories from the first afghan war

Griboyedov's peace allowed for the return of Armenians in Persia to their homeland. While this may not seem important, the acts of three Armenians wishing to do just this would prove devastating. One was a eunuch of the Shah's harem, the other two were girls from the harem of the shah's son-in-law. They escaped and entered the Russian embassy where Griboyedov gave them temporary refuge while he tried to make sense of the situation. Soon the Shah asked for all three of them back, but Griboyedov, knowing the punishments that they would be given, refused. They claimed that exceptions to the treaty could only be made by Russia's foreign minister.

Word of the event and response spread quickly throughout Tehran. The Anti-Russian feelings now exploded. The Persian people refused to take this insult to their Shah peacefully. Mobs gathered quickly with the help of mosques that commanded the Persians to siege and kill the Russian legation. A group of several thousand people surrounded the embassy demanding the three Armenians. At this point the legation gave up, and decided to try and hand them over. But now it was too late, and the mob began to attack. Griboyedov's own small security force could do nothing but try and make a last stand.

The Cossacks held up for an hour, but soon it became too much. Among the first to die were the Armenians, the eunuch being literally torn to pieces. Next would be Griboyedov and his now smaller group of Cossacks. Griboyedov would die sword in hand against the mob. His body would be tossed to the street, where a kebab vendor would cut off his head and pass it around among the crowd. The rest of his body would be so mutilated that it would be almost unrecognizable.

Russia would end up not punishing Persia for the incident. It was at war with Turkey, and having another war to deal with would add cause unneeded distress. But pressure was now building up, for Russian troops were now beginning to close in on Constantinople.

Glossary of words on the north west frontier.

the great game was the something violent clashing together of three civilizations, protestant England, orthodox Russia and Muslim greater khorasan. as a result a certain lingo started to develop among the various spies and servicemen.

Akhund-a religious teacher or saint.
Ayah-child's nurse
Angol-indian- a white born in india, note that in some text they are simpily called indians the people we call indians today are always called either natives,hindus or musslemans.
Badal-revenge
Badragga-tribal escort
Bagh-garden
Banya-banker/hindu money lender
Burka-to russian's winter clothing to Muslims what women wear.
Cantonment-standing camp or military area of a station.
Civilian- An administrator for the EIC
Civil lines- the area of the station were civilians lived.
Cold weather-October to March.
Duffardar-commander of small group of cavalry.
Darrah-mountain pass.
Deskshi-cooking pot.
Eid-a Muslim festival
Ghar-mountain
Ghazi-mujaheddin
Hookah-known to the English as hubble bubble
Hot weather-April to September
Hurjra-village guest house or community center
Insaf-justice
Jagir- a fief
Jihad-holy war
Jemadar-native officer or police
Jirga-Paktun tribal assembly
Kaflia-carvan
Kaka-uncle
Khalsa-pure
Khalsa dal-the European/american trained Sikh army
Khan-chief
Khassedar tribal police man
Kotal-summit or pass
Kutcherry/cuthcherry-administrators office or court house.
Lashkar-tribal army
Lungi-waist-cloth or to the English an allowance to local maliks by the government.
Malik-king or village head man
Maqbara-tomb
Masjid-mosque
Maulvi-muslim scholar
Melmastia-protection or hospitality
Misl-sikh regiment
Mohuram-muslim month of morning(in iraq,perisa and india)
Mujaddid-holy warrior/reformer
Muallh-one who shows the path or religious teacher
Munshi-language teacher,translator or scribe
Musasahib-aide
Mussulman-muslim
Nizam-governor
Pashtu-language of the pakhtuns
Paktunkhwa-afghan code of honor
Pagri-turban

>Russia would end up not punishing Persia for the incident
Persia apologised for the incident and gave them picrelated

Rains-monsoon
Rawaji-Afghan tribal law not the same as sharia
Risala- a troop of irregular horse recruited by a risaldar
Risaldar-native subaltern of horse
Saheb- European or master
Sanad-grant
Sangar-stone breastwork
Sarai-inn
Sepoy-footman or an army, to the English a native footman
Shah-king
Sher- a title meaning lion/tiger
Shikar-hunting
Shikari-hunter
Silladar-bearer of arms or self equipped sowar man
Sardar-commander/sikh regiment leader.
Sowar-native cavalry/horsemen
Subedar-chief native officer of a Sepoy unit
Station-were European officials live
Taliban-searcher after knowledge
Tulwar-sabre
Ulema-learned man/muslim scholar
wazir/vizier-minister
zai-son of(ibn.fizts)
Zamin-land
Zamindar- land owner
Zan-women
Zanana-were women live
Zar-gold

i will get to the other parts tomorrow inshaallah.

...

Thanks, this will be pretty helpful to anyone reading, especially since I have and will use quite a few of these words.

Not militarily punished would be the better term I guess; sorry that it was unclear.

Count Paskievich had managed to drive back the Ottomans from the Southern Caucasus and attack them in the west. By the summer of 1829, The garrison at Erzerum would fall into Russian hands. Now Russia would be able to fight through modern-day Romania and Bulgaria. Two months later Edirne would fall. Russian troops were closing in; they could attack the ailing Ottoman Empire on command. But Russia knew better than to provoke the European powers. Despite its cavalry being a mere 40 miles from the Ottoman capital, Russia would end its campaign. Had they continued and attempted to take the city, a new European war would not be out of question.

Victories against both Persia and the Ottoman Empire had boosted Russian confidence and there were fears that it now looked towards India. One man, Colonel George de Lacy Evans, who could almost be called the Wilson of his day claimed that this was exactly the case in his book: 'On the Practicality of an Invasion of British India'. Evans believed that while Russia would not necessarily invade India, they would in fact incite rebellion there. He believed that should Russia get too close, they would urge the natives of India to shake off British rule. This thought terrified the East India Company, for they were heavily outnumbered should it happen. His book would have a profound effect on British policy regarding the Game.

Lord Ellenborough, President of the Board of Control for India was terrified by the things outlined in the book. As he inquired more into the subject, he found the deficiency of proper maps and information. Ellenborough would now set off a host of new explorers and spies to chart out Central Asia, for now the Great Game had come into full swing.

Knowledge on the Indus River was limited to Europeans at the time. Any attempts to try and go through it would be heavily rejected by both the Sindh and Punjab, who viewed its secrecy as vital to their protection. But the defense of India was important and the Indus was one of its keys. With this in mind, Lord Ellenborough hatched a devious plot to try and scout out the river and see if it was navigable.

The old ruler of the Sikh Empire, Ranjit Singh, had recently given the gift of Kashmiri Shawls to the King of England, William IV. The emperor now expected something in return, and it was this that Ellenborough used to his advantage. The plan was to give Ranjit Singh five huge English draft horses and a gilded stage coach. The gift would hopefully impress the ruler, as horses like this were not often seen on the subcontinent. However, the British reasoned that travelling these huge horses 700 miles by land would exhaust them. So, in order to give the king his gifts, the British would have to sail up the Indus River. As they sailed, the British would secretly survey the river. The officer chosen for this mission would be a young subaltern named Alexander Burnes.

Approval of the mission was not universal. A man named Sir Charles Matcalfe was particularly against this. He said "The scheme of surveying the Indus, under the pretense of sending a present to Rajah Ranjit Singh is a trick... unworthy of our government." He also pointed out that this was exactly the kind of deviousness that people claimed the British empire partook in.

As a new Whig government(which Ellenborough feared would be against the mission) took power, the mission along the Indus began. Alexander Burnes would set out from Kutch in 1831. A holy man who saw the vessel along the Indus is reported to have said "Alas, Sind is now gone."

Bump

Nobody was fooled by the expedition's true purpose, and at first, many emirs strongly objected to the passage of the boat. However fears that Ranjit Singh would retaliate for holding up his gifts would cause the Emirs to reluctantly allow the boat to go through. Five months after entering the Indus, Burnes and his crew would reach Lahore. He had proven that the Indus was navigable for flat bottomed craft up to this point. Now the British, with the permission of Ranjit Singh, might be able to unload and carry their high-quality goods throughout Central Asia. This they hoped, would rival with Russian goods and reduce the influence Russia had.

The five draft horses which survived the blazing Punjabi sun created a sensation among the locals and court officials. The animal would be inspected head-to-toe with the most precise measurements. Nothing but perfection could be given to the king. Upon seeing the coach driven by the horses, locals dubbed them "little elephants."

Burnes was received with great celebration in Lahore. Singh wanted cordial relations with the Company just as much as they wanted it with him. No side wished to put their equally strong armies on the test. However, what was of interest to the Company was his age. Ranjit Singh was now old, and had already lost an eye to small-pox. If he were to die, then a power struggle in his empire would take place.

As Burnes walked through the streets, he was greeted with lines of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, all of which saluted him. Upon entering the royal palace, a small man walked up to him and hugged him. This was Ranjit Singh himself, who had come to Burnes to meet and discuss with him. After their greetings were over, Singh would be led over to see his horses. He would jump up and yell with glee as each one walked by him.

Burnes would end up staying at Lahore for two months full of parties and gifts. In August of 1831, Burnes would return. In his mind, he bore a new, more dangerous plan.

oh man i love this thread

yo, i was just reading about this guy also i will post the stuff about kaka abbot after you get to the first Afghan war as it fits in best there and maybe a profile of the paladins of Punjab who were vital in the great game.pic related the most famous of the paladins

boomp

bimpity bamp

kaka abbot, yes he was great man and good muslim-many older Pakistanis

The great game has left many enduring legacy, its a terrible tale of deceit and paranoia of military and social blunders, the players themselves could heroic or base depraves. one of the most heroic and impactful individuals in the game was James abbot.

sir kaye descibed abbot as 'one of those men who lot in life it is never to be belived,never to be appreciated,never to be rewarded,of the true salt of the earth,but an unrecognized savoir,chivalrous,heroic,but some how never emerging from the shade. born in 1807 to an old india hand and at sixteen shipped off to India with three brothers, were abbot's brothers made a name for themselves as excellent artillery men,solders and administrators. Abbot himself first came notice with his book Narrative of a journey from Heraut to Khiva,Moscow and ST. Petersburgh,during the late Russian invasion of Khiva. the whole business costed Abbot two figures off his right hand. After returning to India via England and spent the next 3 or 4 years in quite obscurity the clam only shattered by the death of his wife during pregnancy. unable to bear the sorrow abbot left his daughter with friends and took up various assignments on very frontier of India the small province of Hazara here began the difficult task of governing by collecting taxes,settling disputes and surving the land among a people who had a proverd told to all youths and still more today "first comes one English man,as a traveler or for shikar,then come two to make a map,then comes the army to conquer the land, therefore kill the first one." Hazara is a wedge of land like a tent peg between swat on the west and khasmir to the east, the whole place is filled with mountains which open ever so slightly to revel lush valleys. the population consist of some twenty Muslim tribes a small smattering of sikhs.

Abbot entered into Hazara with a small Sikh escort, who abbot had to almost force to march with him the reason as Abbot recites his famous book Hazara and its place in the second Sikh war was "The governor held unlimited power to plunder,slay or dishonor any muslim" as such the Muslim population has risen in revolt dozens of times and the whole place had received a reputation much like we have of Vietnam. the Sikhs held forty castles and only fed themselves by plunder, the rest of the district remained free of the dread Sikhs rule which has today become a by-word for bad governance in the region. Abbot wriets "on my march in i waas mucgh intrested with the country that was to become home for six years. on my right rose Mt.Serrah some 1500ft atop was a gran statue of Buddha. on my left was the long mountain ridge of Gundgurh the terror of the Sikhs still in open defiance. in front mountain after mountain rose, I found still smoking ruins of the village of Monti burned by the chief of Gundgrurh. here i was met by a delegation of village maliks armed to the teeth who had come to implore the British government to accept their bayah(oath) rather than be ruled by Sikhs and swore if they were to be ruled by them to fight to the last drop of blood. Hearing their pleads Abbot made arrangements and the district was removed from sihk rule, With this move Abbot gain the that most vital of afghan currency Iqbal(honor) and with this he wasted no time in setting up an government with help of two Muslims who had forced off their land by sikhs. in the past the sikhs had slain any muslim who dared prayer and attcked the mosque but as Abbot records one morning i heard the Bahng(adan)the muslim call to prayer, cautiously and timidly, near my tent. And as my presence prevented any violence on behalf the sikhs it was repeated again and again. Abbot was instantly transformed into a hero with even greater Iqbal. He then began to personally inspect land disputes.

My dick demands source.

As Abbot records "at every step i met returning exiles,thousands who had been banished for defending their rights or to enrich by their disinheritance the governors cronies" as it turned out many of these had been forced into bantiry as result of the loss land many having been nobles who knew no other craft besides ruling and war. A few of these errant nobles found themselves more comfortable as bandits and Abbot took military actions in what was to be the first of hundreds of expeditions launched between 1847 to 1947 on the NWF. one of these tribes were Dhund they refused to pay taxes to Abbot and soon fought Abbot in several brisk engagements only when Abbot apon inspecting the land realized that Sikhs had set the taxes to high for the land to ever bear and when he fix this the fighting stop. Abbots popularity with Muslims alienated the sihks who soon rose in revolt killing two British officers at first a local mutiny turned into the second sihk war. Abbot was forced out into the mountains as the sikhs in hazara gathered to march to the aid of their brother at main front. The second war was just as fierce and brutal as the first, the sikh army was modern, trained by European and american officers and with state of the art weaponry every English victory in the first war had been pyrrhic only the poor performance of the unmodernized Sikh cavalry had saved the English from defeat. there was no doute in any mind that the second war would be equally if not more bloody than the first. Abbot doing his part for the war gathered a small army the first to respond to the call were the maliks of the mashwani "a rugged looking race,ugly and not to gracfully built,whose clothing is of cotton,dyed black but they are among the truest ans stances defenders of the hillside that the world can boast and are good shots with their clumsy matchlocks,when ever there was an attack they flocked to my stranded. two hundred Suttri regular infantry also heeded the call 1800inall

Sikh European trained infantry

comming back tommorow inshaallah dont die on me thread

Pretty interesting, I really only know about Abbot due to his work in Khiva. I knew that he did stuff in the Sikh wars, but I didn't know the details.

His plan was daring due to its danger and complexity. Burnes, now 26 years old, wished to first travel to Kabul and make friendly relations with the Afghan ruler and rival of Ranjit Singh, Dost Mohammed. Then, going through the deadly passes of the Hindu Kush, he would arrive at the Oxus, and later, enter Bokhara. Most people would settle for either Kabul or Bokhara, not both. He expected his plan to be turned down by the Whig government in London, but to his surprise, it was green-lighted. As it turns out, the Whigs were now getting just as scared as the Tories about Russian influence seeping through Central Asia.

Burnes would choose three men to go on his journey with him. One was an Englishman, a doctor by the name of James Gerard who had experience exploring in the Himalayas. The other two were Indians whose names were Mohan Lai and Mohammed Ali. Lai was a well educated Kashmiri who would help in translating languages and guiding the group through the various niceties of diplomacy in Central Asia. Ali was an experienced Company surveyor who had joined Burnes on his journey up the Indus.

On March 17, 1832, the group would cross the Indus at Attock, and leave the Punjab where they enjoyed Ranjit Singh's protection. They would end up not using the Khyber Pass due to the danger of robbery there. Instead they would go through a longer route in the mountains. Once they entered Afghanistan, they would change their clothes, leave behind many luxuries, and put on turbans. However, Burnes and Gerard did not hide the fact that they were Europeans. They claimed that they were Englishman looking to go back home by land. Their goal was to stay in the shadows and melt into the crowd. Burnes claimed that cheap disguises would do just the opposite, attract attention.

Once they passed through Jalalabad, Burnes and his group got onto the main road to Kabul. All around them stood huge snowy mountains. Burnes still had a long path to travel on in order to reach Bokhara.

Things on the road had so far gone well. Burnes plan of blending in had worked. One night, despite the presence of Christians in the group, they were all allowed to stay in a mosque. Burnes and Gerard did nothing to try and hide their religions, though they did lie about their consumption of pork. Burnes wrote in his journal: "When they ask me if I eat pork, I of course shudder and say it is only outcasts who commit such outrages. God forgive me! For I am very fond of bacon and my mouth waters when I write the word." The group would reach Bokhara safely on March 1.

When Dost Mohammed and Burnes met, they would become immediate friends. Unlike his Sikh rival, Mohammed stayed modest. He and Burnes sat across from each other, both cross-legged in a simple, almost empty room. Burnes viewed Mohammed as strict, wise, and overall benevolent, though Mohan Lai felt differently.

There were many claimants to the throne of Afghanistan, and the British had to decide which to back. Burnes of course backed his new friend, though others in the company thought that Mohammed's rivalry with Ranjit Singh was too problematic. Burnes wished to stay in Kabul and prove the company wrong, but time was limited and they now had to leave for Bokhara.

As they traveled, Burnes' group decided to try and find the graves of Moorcroft's expedition. They would end up finding the graves of all members who died in the journey, including Moorcroft's. They wished to try and add headstones to them, but they needed to reach Bokhara quickly, and so they silently left.

The group now crossed the Oxus and headed into a ten-day stretch of desert. There was a real danger of being captured by Turkmen slavers, but they avoided it all. After a grueling journey, they had reached Bokhara.

Sorry if this one seemed a bit more compact than others, I had to squeeze a lot of stuff in 2000 characters.

>Hookah-known to the English as hubble bubble
never change, poms

Try with "Declare"
Even if its more a cold war era book, you will enjoy all the links with the great game.
Based Tim Powers