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Abstract

This article examines the rivalry between the Russian and Qing empires in Kazakhstan from the mid-eighteenth to the mid-nineteenth century, exploring the divergence in political ideologies underlying their respective Central Asian policies. The expansionist trajectories of these two early modern empires converged in Turkestan; while Tsarist Russia secured control over Western Turkestan by co-opting the loyalty of local elites, the Qing consolidated its rule in Eastern Turkestan through military conquest. The Zünghar khanate had originally served as a buffer state between the two powers; however, following the collapse of the Zünghar khanate in 1757, a direct confrontation in Turkestan became inevitable. Consequently, the Kazakh khanate assumed critical strategic importance. This study aims to demonstrate the distinct imperial and colonial traditions exhibited by the Russian Empire—as an heir to Roman and Christian traditions—and the Qing Empire—as a successor to the Mongol/Turko-Mongol tradition—in their diplomatic and political engagements with the Kazakhs.