Russian Advancement in Central Asia in the Works of Russian Lieutenant-General and Orientalist M.A. Terentyev

Abstract

Mikhail Afrikanovich Terentyev was a Russian lieutenant general, military orientalist and historian, linguist, lawyer, who 150 years before the current events described geopolitics in Central Asia, the relations between Russia, England, Persia, and Muslim states, which still remain as controversial and complex as they were in the XIX century. He was surprisingly accurate in his assessment of the importance of public opinion in England and its press, so that Russia should have been careful when its power was exaggerated. The same image of Russia as an extremely strong and immoderate in appetite rival is persistently imposed by the British press on its society today, as well as on Europeans and Americans. He very accurately foreshadowed Russophobia and showed how members of the British parliament set tasks for the press and how the “sixth great power” worked. In his writings on Central Asia, M.A. Terentyev took into account economics, politics, military, individual qualities of leaders, public opinion, culture, language and national peculiarities. His writings shed light on the interdependencies and politics of states and there is no doubt that researchers will continue to refer to his works in the future. This article offers the reader useful remarks by M.A. Terentyev from his major works: “Russia and England in the Struggle for Markets” and “Russia and England in Central Asia”, which were highly appreciated in Russia, England and Europe. They shed light on the world economy and politics of the XIX century: the importance of cotton at the time to the world market, the importance of Central Asia to England, and they even link the assassination of Paul I to Russia’s attempt to control the route to India.