This seminar will examine the mixed history of European imperial projects in Central Asia during the long 19th century: the "great power" rivalry for supremacy in Central Asia, fought mainly in Afghanistan and the surrounding regions (including what is now Pakistan) over two centuries or longer. We will also consider the social and religious implications for Afghanistan and adjacent regions; the geo-strategic background to the conflict, including Timurid dominance in Southern Asia; the "Great Game" dimensions of the Cold War, the War on Drugs, and the War on Terror; and the "Great Game" in literature, art, film, and popular culture. |