Punjab and the great game

Abstract

The conquest of the Punjab, its induction into the British Indian Empire and its transformation as the jewel of British crown, model agrarian province and sword arm of India is part of the eventful phenomenon of establishing British colonialism over the Indian sub-continent, alongside the British maneuvers to protect its borders from imminent attacks from across the north western frontier. This exploratory research 'Punjab and the Great Game' is an effort to bring out the significance of Punjab as a strategic region, being geographically situated near to theatre of Great Game, in Anglo-Russian rivalry for commercial dominance in Central Asia and political primacy in Afghanistan by unraveling the intricacies related to it. Generally, in the history of empires, buffer states and smaller regions often receive scant individuated consideration as they are submerged in the narratives of empire. The present research by using the optic of great game attempts to understand the trajectory of tensions in the border region, and tries to foreground the implication and transformations of Punjab in this new light