ROBERT SHAW, THE FIRST ENGLISH TRAVELLER TO VISIT KASHGAR, AND HIS ACTIVITIES IN EASTERN TURKESTAN

Abstract

This article analyzes the activities of Robert Barkley Shaw, one of the first English travelers to visit Kashgar, in Eastern Turkestan and his role in the foreign policy of the Yettishar state. The study is conducted within the framework of the geopolitical environment of the “Great Game” that emerged in Central Asia in the second half of the nineteenth century. It reveals how the political, economic, and geographical data collected during Shaw’s journey influenced the policy decisions of the Government of British India regarding Eastern Turkestan. The article also provides a comparative analysis of Yakub Beg Badavlat’s efforts to establish relations with Britain in order to strengthen the international status of the Yettishahar state, create a balance against Russian pressure, and gain access to military-technical resources. The substantive differences between the Russo–Kashgar treaty of 1872 and the Anglo–Kashgar treaty of 1874 are examined in terms of diplomatic status and political outcomes. The study substantiates that Robert Barkley Shaw acted as an important intermediary in expanding the external relations of the Yettishar state and in the formation of British–Kashgar relations.