Description
The Russian expansion into the Muslim world started with the conquest of Kazan in 1552 and then continued through conquests in the Caucasus and Central Asia in the nineteenth century. Although these three peoples had many experiences in common under Russian and Soviet rule, there are also many areas of difference. This is most notably the case since the collapse of the Soviet Union when their connections and experiences of post-Soviet Russia have diverged radically. However, despite these areas of convergence and divergence, comparative studies of these three different cases have rarely been done. This paper draws from a book I am writing on Russia and the Muslim world where these three cases are included as the first three substantive chapters. Comparing these three cases, it is argued, provides critical insights into the strategies and approaches taken by Russia to incorporate Muslim peoples into the Russian/Soviet polity and, in the case of Central Asia, to agree to their secession.
