Greater Central Asia

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A depiction of Central Asia in dark-green along with some nearby associated regions in light-green.

Greater Central Asia (GCA) is a variously defined region encompassing the area in and around Central Asia, by one definition including Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Xinjiang (in China), and Afghanistan,[1] and by a more expansive definition, also including Mongolia and parts of India and Russia.[2] The region was historically interconnected religiously, economically, and otherwise,[3] being important as part of the Silk Road trading network until the 15th century;[4] the competition between Soviet, British, and Chinese spheres of influence split the region apart in the 20th century.[5] In the 21st century, it has been contested by a number of major powers, such as America, China and Russia.[6][7]

The region is defined to a significant extent by its many tribal/clan alliances and histories.[8]

History

Ancient era

In ancient times, GCA was involved in the

Hellenized the region and left Greek kingdoms such as the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom in their wake.[10] The Kushan Empire was one of the first empires to unite most of GCA.[11][12]

The

Central Asian conquests of India in the first half of the second millennium, primarily by Timur and later Babur, then resulted in the spread of a Turco-Persian tradition throughout GCA and through northwestern South Asia into the rest of South Asia.[10] By the 17th century, the importance of the Silk Road had declined due to the rise of maritime trade.[17]

Modern era

A depiction of Britain (the lion) and Russia (the bear) contesting Afghanistan (Sher Ali Khan).

The 18th to mid 20th-century

British rule of India disconnected South Asians from their centuries-long ties to GCA at the same time that the Soviet Union and Chinese Qing dynasty were conquering parts of the region.[18] Afghanistan became a buffer state between the British Empire and the Soviet Union in what was referred to as the "Great Game".[19] After India's independence in 1947, it was able to build closer ties with Soviet Central Asia as part of its overall close relations with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, in contrast to Pakistan.[18]

Important events in the early 2020s, such as America's chaotic pullout from Afghanistan, along with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have reduced Central Asia's chances of creating land routes to the sea for trade, and have created fears in the region of being invaded again.[20]

China's involvement in GCA, involving over $100 billion in investment,[21] is argued to be aimed towards the protection of its Xinjiang region from neighboring terrorist groups,[5] as well as securing natural resources[22] and curbing the local influence of America and India.[23] India is interested in engaging with GCA, though its difficult relationship with Pakistan and the instability of Afghanistan reduce the potential for such engagement for the time being.[24][18] India also lacks the direct borders with Central Asia as well as the economic heft of being able to provide a Belt and Road Initiative-type project to the region that China has, which are factors that favor China's influence in the region.[18]

See also

References

  1. ISSN 0039-6338
    .
  2. ISBN 978-981-99-7640-9
    , retrieved 2024-05-03
  3. ^ "Reconnecting India and Central Asia | Emerging Security and Economic Dimensions" (PDF). 2010-04-08. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  4. ^ "Sustainable Land Management in Greater Central Asia". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ a b China and Greater Central Asia: New Frontiers? Niklas Swanström
  6. ISSN 2322-3766
    .
  7. ^ "Sustainable Land Management in Greater Central Asia: An Integrated and Regional Perspective". Routledge & CRC Press. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  8. ISBN 978-91-85473-15-1
    .
  9. ISBN 978-1-4008-4880-5
    , retrieved 2024-05-03
  10. ^
    JSTOR 40261858
    .
  11. ^ Pivotal Pakistan: GCAP and the Geopolinomics of Central Asia’s Traditional Indus Basin Corridor Aftab Kazi
  12. ^ "Chapter 1 The Center of the World" (PDF). Princeton University Press. 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  13. ISBN 978-0-691-15773-3
    .
  14. ^ Cornell, S. (2022). "State and Religion in Central Asia". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ISSN 0022-4227
    .
  16. PMC 8858705
    .
  17. ISSN 0163-660X
    .
  18. ^
    ISSN 1684-9787
    .
  19. ^ "In Defense of Greater Central Asia". www.silkroadstudies.org. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  20. ^ "Rethinking Greater Central Asia: American and Western Stakes in the Region and How to Advance Them". silkroadstudies.org. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  21. ^ Central Asia’s Growing Role in Building Peace and Regional Connectivity with Afghanistan https://www.usip.org/ Humayun Hamidzada and Richard Ponzio
  22. ISBN 978-1-315-67939-6
    , retrieved 2024-05-03
  23. doi:10.1080/00927678.2013.759443
    .
  24. ^ Strategic Environment in Central Asia and India Arun Sahgal and Vinod Anand

Further reading

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