Introduction

The watershed we have adopted for distinguishing between the premodem and modem eras in Inner Asia is the breakdown of the imperial systems that had held the societies of this region in thrall. The “1920s” is a very rough definition of the watershed between the colonial era and the period in which these societies had the possibility, and in some cases the ability, to take charge of their own destinies. More specifically, the overthrow of the Ch’ing dynasty in 1911 gave Mongolia, Sinkiang, and Tibet the opportunity to form more or less independent polities. The 1917 revolution in Russia offered similar opportunities to the peoples of Central Asia, although they did not have the capacity to take advantage of their temporary freedom. The First World War did not bring the British Empire to its knees, but it weakened it to the extent that the Great Game between Britain and Russia ceased to be a dominant factor in the development of Iran, Afghanistan, and peripherally Tibet and Sinkiang.