A Playground for Empires, Caught in the Crossfire
Much of the current geopolitical mess of Asia, including Afghanistan, Iraq and even Kashmir(see footnote ) can be traced to the ' Great Game ', or the 'Tournament of Shadows' between two imperial powers, British Empire and Tsarist Russia. A fascinating and self-centered showmanship of territorial expansion was being played out in central Asia. in the 19th century. The Amir of Afghanistan sandwiched between the British lion and the Russian bear. Punch, 30 November 1878. Source: Middle East Cartoon History British empire having a firm foothold in its crown jewel India, annexed Punjab in 1849, thus gaining a border with Afghanistan. To the North, the Russian empire took control of Tashkent and Samarkand(in present-day Uzbekistan) in 1865. By the end of 1890, the distance between Russian and British outposts had shrunk to 33km across the Wakhan panhandle (between Tajikistan and Gilgit-Baltistan). This narrow strip of land sticking out of Afghan mainla...