Published in Russian, see Russian pages of this website.

SUMMARY:

In her review of Central Asia within the Russian Empire, Gulmira Dzhunushalieva assesses the scholarly achievements of the team of authors and relates them to the current stage of historical studies in Central Asian republics, particularly in Kyrgyzstan. She praises the objectivity and lack of overt politicization in the presentation of the region’s history in this volume. The volume’s merits include a balanced view of the contradictions and manifold directions of the policies of the imperial center toward the region; the inclusion of the analysis of Central Asian protectorates and history of relations with China in the semi-open frontier of Eastern Turkestan (Xinjiang). Dzhunushalieva suggests that the volume would have been more balanced had it included an examination of relationships between population groups in the region that were not mediated by the imperial administration, as well as analysis of how the local population adopted colonial language and frameworks and used them to advance their own interests.