1879 Atkinson (2 results)

Hardcover. Octavo, Two volumes. In Good condition. Spine is brown with gold print. Boards quarter bound with brown cloth to spine and brown paper to boards. Wear to spine caps and corners, light peripheral toning. Text blocks have tanning to endpapers. CONTENTS: Vol. 1. Books I-II (321 pages) - Vol. 2. Books III-V (353 pages). [Oversized book(s). Additional postage necessary for expedited/international orders. Economy International shipping unavailable due to size/weight restrictions. For international/expedited customers, please inquire for rates]. 1370399. FP New Rockville Stock.

Good. Some wear and loss along fold lines and at fold intersections. Size 59 x 80 Inches. This is a fascinating 1879 map of Central Asia, divided into four large folding sheets, produced by G.W.E. Atkinson, a British Survey of India expert on Tibet, the Himalayas, and Central Asia. It was produced at the height of the 'Great Game' and intended for use by the government and military of British India. This map provides unique insight into the collaborative process of Russian and British surveyors operating in Central Asia despite ongoing political conflict. A Closer Look The map is divided into four sheets, each roughly 29 x 40 inches: the first (top-left) includes the Caspian and Aral Seas and takes in Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand in the western part of modern Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan; the second (top-right) includes Lake Balkhash, the Tianshan mountains, and the western part of Eastern Turkestan (also known as Chinese Turkestan or Xinjiang), taking in Turkestan (Turkistan), Kuldja (Ghulja), Jizzakh, and the settlements in the western parts of the Tarim Basin (Kashgar, Yarkand, Aksu, and Kuchar); the third (bottom-left) covers much of Persia and the western half of Afghanistan as well as part of Baluchistan; and the fourth (bottom-right) ranges from the eastern half of Afghanistan, through the northern portion of British India, the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains, and to the western part of the Himalayas and Tibet. Sources - An Imperial Exchange The number of sources drawn on attest to the importance of the accuracy of this map. In particular, the Survey of India used Russian [Army] Topographical Department maps to compile their own maps, and the Russians likewise used British maps to improve theirs. In fact, despite the competition between the imperial superpowers, cartographers and explorers from both sides were quite ready to exchange information, motivated by a shared interest in improving geographical knowledge. Accurate geographical knowledge was an important factor in preventing a wider conflict. A series of agreements between the Russians and British beginning in 1873 defined the region's borders and helped develop a buffer zone between British and Russian spheres. But - Back to Conflict Still, Russian expansion and British finagling of local rulers made for rapid territorial changes. Also, at this time, Qing China had just reconquered Eastern Turkestan (Xinjiang) after a series of large revolts, and in the following decades, would seek to dissuade British and Russian adventurism in Xinjiang and Tibet. Russia's Conquest of Central Asia Russian contacts with Central Asia predated this map by many centuries, and Russian national identity is largely rooted in the relationship with the steppe and interaction (trade, warfare, etc.) with steppe-dwelling peoples. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Russian Empire established a series of border forts that roughly followed the edge of the forested land before reaching the steppe, concurrent with the present-day border between the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan. Occasional forays into the steppes were attempted, but conquering those territories in any meaningful sense remained elusive. Using the latest military, communication, and transportation technology, the Russian Empire focused intently in the mid-19th century on subjugating Central Asia. Although the region had lost some of its wealth and luster from the height of the Silk Road, it was still home to powerful states that held their own in skirmishes with neighboring empires in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The Russians encountered difficulties controlling the region, starting with a disastrous 1839 attack on Khiva. (Khiva was eventually conquered in 1873). Rather than military strategy or technology, the main obstacle for the Russians was supplying troops so far from the Russian heartland in a region with minimal infrastructure. Getting supplies to the main staging area at Orenburg was difficult enough, but then th.