Great Game

E29457

The Great Game was the 19th-century strategic rivalry and political conflict between the British and Russian Empires over influence and territory in Central Asia.

Aliases (1)

Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf 19th-century conflict
geopolitical rivalry
historical event
alsoKnownAs Tournament of Shadows
cause British concern for the security of India
Russian expansion into Central Asia
imperial competition for influence and territory
characterizedBy boundary commissions
intelligence gathering missions
secret treaties
use of local rulers as buffers
coinedBy Arthur Conolly
conflictType diplomatic conflict
intelligence conflict
political conflict
strategic rivalry
endedBy Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907
endPeriod early 20th century
goal control over Central Asian trade routes
extend Russian influence southward
secure frontiers of British India
historicalInterpretation example of 19th-century imperialism
precursor to modern geopolitical rivalries
involvedActivity cartography
diplomacy
espionage
military expeditions
proxy wars
location Afghanistan
Central Asia
Indian subcontinent
Persia
Tibet
mainParticipants British Empire
Russian Empire
mentionedIn Kim (novel)
peakPeriod 1830s
1840s
1870s
popularizedBy Rudyard Kipling
relatedTo Afghan Wars
Anglo-Russian rivalry
British Raj
First Anglo-Afghan War
Panjdeh incident
Persian politics in the 19th century
Russian conquest of Central Asia
Second Anglo-Afghan War
startPeriod early 19th century


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