Turkestan in the accounts of British travellers in the 19th century

The geography of Turkestan is a very large region within the domination of the Turks and later the Mongols from the early stages of history. This region, which is geographically divided into two as Western Turkestan and East Turkestan, has been the battlefield of the great powers of every period, as it has ancient trade routes and ancient cities. Turkestan, which was deprived of a strong political formation in the 19th century, became a center of attraction in the developing world by preserving its mystery, and its strategic importance in the colonial race of the great powers began to increase over time. Its importance for both powerful states increased, especially in Britain's plan to prevent the Russians from invading India by land, and in Russia's expansionist policy. In the 19th century, Britain sent many spies for reconnaissance and intelligence to Turkestan, which became the battlefield of these two states and the chessboard of this struggle called the Great Game. This study examines slavery, trade and the social and daily lives of the people living here in Turkestan, where there were insular khanates that were not well known until then, through the eyes of the works of these British travelers, mostly of military origin, who went to different parts of Turkestan for different purposes in the 19th century.