Anglo russian rivalry in central asia and the reasons for its escalation

CONCLUSION
Anglo-Russian rivarlies grew steadily over Central Asia during the so-called "Great Game" of the late 19th century. Russia desired warm-water ports on the Indian Ocean while Britain wanted to prevent Russian troops from gaining a potential invasion route to India. In 1885 Russia annexed part of Afghanistan in the Panjdeh incident, which caused a war scare. After nearly completing the Russian conquest of Central Asia (Russian Turkestan) the Russians captured an Afghan border fort. Seeing a threat to India, Britain came close to threatening war but both sides backed down and the matter was settled by diplomacy.^vi

The effect was to stop further Russian expansion in Asia, except for the Pamir Mountains and to define the north-western border of Afghanistan. However Russia's foreign minister Nikolay Girs and its ambassador to London Baron de Staal in 1887 set up a buffer zone in Central Asia. Russian diplomacy thereby won grudging British acceptance of its expansionism. Persia was also an arena of tension, but without warfare

After Afghanistan and Central Asia became one-sided at the expense of the Russians, competition between the two empires continued in other regions in the early twentieth century, including Iran, Kashgar, and Tibet. Iran was divided into two or three parts, with the Russians in the north and the British in the south, and a neutral zone in the middle. In the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Britain defeated Russia in support of Japan, which weakened its position in the Far East. As a result, Tibet and Kashgar will remain under Chinese control.^vii
After Afghanistan and Central Asia became one-sided at the expense of the Russians, competition between the two empires continued in other regions in the early twentieth century, including Iran, Kashgar, and Tibet. Iran was divided into two or three parts, with the Russians in the north and the British in the south, and a neutral zone in the middle. In the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Britain defeated Russia in support of Japan, which weakened its position in the Far East. As a result, Tibet and Kashgar will remain under Chinese control.^viii