Published Online:October 2025
Product Name:The IUP Journal of International Relations
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJIR011025
DOI:10.71329/IUPJIR/2025.19.4.7-17
Author Name:Ritika Joshi
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Arts and Humanities
Download Format:PDF
Pages:7-17
The paper examines the evolving relationship between British India and the Uzbek khanates during the 19th century, spanning the period from 1830 to 1900. It explores how trade, intelligence, diplomacy, and empire-building influenced their relationships. The study examines how the Great Game impacted existing networks and gave rise to new ones. It also highlights the role of local actors, beyond just the British and the Russians. The Great Game was the 19th-century geopolitical rivalry between the British and the Russian Empires for dominance in Central Asia. It involved a contest of espionage, diplomacy and territorial control, shaping the political map of Asia. The paper argues that colonial rivalries severed some connections but also left behind patterns that continue to shape India-Uzbekistan relations today.
Between 1870 and 1890, India-Uzbekistan relations underwent significant changes under the influence of great power politics. This was the time of the Great Game. The British and Russian empires were both trying to control Central Asia. The Uzbek khanates of Bukhara, Khiva and Kokand were caught in the middle. Russia was slowly