Central Asia, Persia and Afghanistan, 1834-1949.

Format:

Database & Article Index

Website/Database

Contributor:

Adam Matthew Digital (Firm), issuing body, digitiser.

National Archives (Great Britain), issuing body.

Series:

Archives direct

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Asia, Central--History--Sources.

Asia, Central.

Asia, Central--Civilization.

Asia, Central--Relations--Soviet Union.

Great Britain--Relations--Soviet Union.

Great Britain.

Afghanistan--Relations--Soviet Union.

Afghanistan.

Iran--Relations--Soviet Union.

Iran.

China--Relations--Soviet Union.

China.

Afghan Wars.

Silk Road--History.

Silk Road.

International relations.

Civilization.

Soviet Union.

Asia--Silk Road.

Central Asia.

Genre:

databases.

primary sources.

facsimiles (reproductions)

catalogs (documents)

History

Sources

Databases.

Primary sources.

Maps.

Facsimiles.

Catalogs.

Physical Description:

1 online resource : illustrations (black and white), facsimilies, maps (black and white, and colour)

Began in 2021?

Former Title:

Central Asia, Persia and Afghanistan, 1834-1922 : from Silk Road to Soviet rule <April 30, 2026>

Place of Publication:

[Marlborough, Wiltshire] : Adam Matthew Digital Limited, [2024]-

Marlborough, Wiltshire : Adam Matthew Digital, [2021]-

Summary:

"This resource provides digital access to official British government records relating to the region, from the decline of the Silk Road, through the diplomatic confrontation between the British and Russian Empires known as the “Great Game”, to the influence of the emergent Soviet Union in the twentieth century.Correspondence and eyewitness accounts from the region’s key players document the Anglo-Afghan Wars; the perspectives of Afghan and Persian rulers on foreign activities in the region; and the interplay between China and Russia. Further material concerning the decline of British influence, and the expansion and fall of the Russian Empire allows scholars to build a balanced picture of the tumultuous history of the region"--Based on homepage (viewed August 6, 2026).

Contents:

Section 1. From Silk Road to Soviet rule, 1834-1922

Section II. Afghanistan from Civil War to World War II, 1923-1949

Notes:

This collection of Foreign Office files explores the history of Persia (Iran), Central Asia and Afghanistan from the decline of the Silk Road in the first half of the nineteenth century to the establishment of Soviet rule over parts of the region in the early 1920s. It encompasses the era of "The Great Game" - a political and diplomatic confrontation between the Russian and British Empires for influence, territory and trade across a vast region, from the Black Sea in the west to the Pamir Mountains in the east. Comprised of correspondence, intelligence reports, agents' diaries, minutes, maps, newspaper excerpts and other materials from the FO 65, FO 106, FO 371 and FO 539 series, this resource forms a sets of historical documents relating to this region, offering insights not only into the impact of Great Power politics on the region, but also the region's peoples, cultures and societies. -- Based on homepage (viewed April 30, 2026).

Publication details: Central Asia, Persia and Afghanistan, 1834-1922: From Silk Road to Soviet Rule published in standalone website in 2024 (previously part of AM’s Archives Direct suite). Section II, Central Asia, Persia and Afghanistan, 1923-1949: Afghanistan From Civil War to World War II, published in 2026 and resource retitled Central Asia, Persia and Afghanistan, 1834-1949.

Description based on contents viewed on August 6, 2026; title from home page.

OCLC:

1266275573

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.