Central Asia – 1885

Late Nineteenth-Century Geopolitics and the Great Game in Central Asia

Published by G.W. & C.B. Colton, this critical antique political map delineates the volatile regional borders of Central Asia during the height of the Anglo-Russian rivalry known historically as the Great Game. The detailed steel-plate engraving highlights Afghanistan as a pivotal buffer state, clearly tracing its territorial boundaries alongside the expanding spheres of influence of the Russian Empire to the north and British India to the south and east.

Colton Survey of Middle Eastern Topography and Imperial Insets

The archival document covers an extensive geographical area, mapping out the rugged terrains of Persia (Iran), Turkestan, Beluchistan, and parts of the Ottoman Empire from the Black Sea down to the Arabian Sea. A prominent continental inset map in the upper right corner provides broader global context by illustrating the spatial relationship between Europe, Africa, and the Asian landmass, serving as an exceptional primary source for military history scholars and map collectors.