1893 Johnston Map of Central Asia Tracing the Route of the Earl of Dunmore

This is an 1893 map by William and Alexander Keith Johnston of Central Asia, published by the Royal Geographic Society, to trace the route taken by the Earl of Dunmore in his travels through Kashmir, the Xinjiang province of China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and through Turkmenistan to the Caspian Sea. The region - largely a Chinese frontier - was the site of significant Russian efforts to exert influence at the time, and it is in that context that the Earl of Dunmore’s journey took place. Following the track, for example, one sees what appears to be a curious detour into the Pamir mountains between Yarkand and Kashgar; here, Dunmore’s expedition was following a Chinese force sent to counter Russian incursions Aktash region. The region was also the site of conflict between Russian and Afghan forces - indeed, the journey took place only a few years before the border between Russia and Afghanistan was set with the signing of the Pamir Boundary Commission protocols in 1895. Dunmore's return route from Samarkand was undertaken on the Russian Trans-Caspian Railway; constructed in order to facilitate Russian troop movements along the frontier, the British considered this railway to be a particular threat to their interests in Asia.

The Great Game - the struggle for Afghanistan

From 1830 until 1895, a political and diplomatic confrontation, known as 'The Great Game', existed between the British Empire and the Russian Empire over Afghanistan and other territories in Central and Southern Asia. 'The Great Game', as it is known, was ignited due to Russian fears that Britain was making commercial and military inroads in Central Asia, while Britain mutually feared Russia adding 'the jewel in the crown' (India) to its vast empire in Asia. Several wars were fought, including the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1838, the First Anglo-Sikh War in 1845, the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1848, and the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1878, along with the Russian annexations of Khiva, Bukhara, and Kokand. Per historians, the Great Game ended on September 10, 1895 with the signing of the Pamir Boundary Commission protocols, which defined the border between Afghanistan and the Russian Empire.

Publication History and Census

The map was published in the Geographical Journal of 1893 to accompany the Earl of Dunmore's account of his journey. The separate map is catalogued only once in institutional collections, at the University of Chicago. The map appears to be scarce on the market.