AETERNUS · GREEN SERIES
Every book opens onto a larger world. These short historical panels connect individual experiences with campaigns, borderlands, political change and the work of exploration. Six subjects from the nineteenth century begin a historical library that will grow with the publishing programme.
Auf Deutsch lesen →19th century to 1907
Britain, Russia and the struggle for Central Asia
The Great Game describes a changing rivalry rather than a single campaign. Russian expansion in Central Asia and British concern for the approaches to India drew attention to Afghanistan, Persia and the khanates of Khiva and Bukhara. These were political worlds with interests of their own, where local rulers negotiated between neighbours and distant powers.
Explore the historical context1849–1947 · with earlier context
Mountain passes, border societies and campaigning beyond the plains
After the annexation of the Punjab in 1849, British India bordered a region in which control of a road did not necessarily mean control of the surrounding country. Mountain communities, local agreements and routes into Afghanistan shaped a frontier that could never be understood solely as a boundary on a map.
Explore the historical context1881–1899
Khartoum, desert crossings and the struggle for the river
Muhammad Ahmad's uprising against Egyptian rule developed into a state with its own political and religious authority. From 1881, the struggle transformed the Sudan. For forces approaching from Egypt, the Nile offered a route south, but distance, cataracts and transport capacity made it an uncertain means of intervention.
Explore the historical context1824–1901
Kumasi, the Gold Coast and the roads inland
Asante, usually rendered Ashanti in contemporary English accounts, was a major inland kingdom in what is now Ghana. Kumasi stood at the centre of a political and commercial network extending beyond the coastal settlements. Relations with Britain on the Gold Coast involved trade, alliances and rival claims, interrupted by successive wars.
Explore the historical context1867–1868
From the Red Sea to Magdala
The imprisonment of European diplomats, missionaries and others by Emperor Tewodros II brought a British expedition to Abyssinia, now Ethiopia. Robert Napier's force was sent to secure their release. Reaching Magdala required far more than landing troops: the army had to establish and maintain a route from the Red Sea into the highlands.
Explore the historical contextLater 19th century to 1914
From field observation to maps and military decisions
Knowing the position of a pass or the distance between water sources could determine what an expedition was able to do. Surveying turned observations into measurements that could be compared, circulated and used by people who had never visited the ground. Maps connected fieldwork with institutions collecting geographical knowledge.
Explore the historical context