A HISTORY OF INNER ASIA

268 A history of Inner Asia
some basic characteristics of the former period, such as greater independence
of the governor-general and local self-rule by the Muslim population,
especially in the Nan Lu segment.Relative contentment, peace,
and order were the result.
Among the beneficiaries of this situation were European travelers,
scholars, and archaeologists, who began to discover previously
undreamt-of cultural treasures buried under the sands or hidden in the
caves of Sinkiang.This was a truly romantic era of modern archaeology,
a kind of scholarly mirror image of the political and colonial Great
Game going on at the same time in the same general area.British,
German, French, and Russian explorers vied with each other, making
sensational discoveries and often endeavoring to haul what could be
moved to the museums and libraries of their own countries.One of
these scholars was Sir Aurel Stein (1862–1943), who for many years
headed the Archaeology Service of British India.He undertook three
prolonged expeditions between 1900 and 1916 to a number of points
along the ancient Silk Road.His discoveries and studies were many, but
the most sensational was the exploration of the grottoes of Tunhuang
on the Kansu side of the trade route, with their riches of ancient manuscripts
and Buddhist sculptures.Another famous site was that of the
Turfan oasis, where a German team under A.Von Lecoq and A.
Grünwedel found priceless linguistic documents.French scholars led by
Paul Pelliot also made their contributions and took their share, especially
at Tunhuang.The foundation of the Chinese republic in 1912 signaled
an end to the relative freedom of archaeological exploration, although
some of it, especially that of the “Mission Pelliot,” did return in the
1920s and early 1930s.Much work had been accomplished, however, in
the short period of the 1890s and the first two decades of the twentieth
century, and the achievements of this branch of European Orientalism
are truly admirable.The study of the thousands of documents brought
to London, Berlin, Paris, and St.Petersburg continues to this day.
Meanwhile, during this final period of Manchu rule, the political
Great Game abated somewhat, at least between its chief players, Britain
and Russia.The two powers gradually edged toward mutual accommodation,
a process initiated with the 1895 agreement and strengthened by
the 1907 convention.This special truce allayed Britain’s fear for the
northwest frontier of the Raj; from then on, growing Russian presence
in Sinkiang no longer met with noticeable British opposition.Russia’s
position of strength in Inner Asia secured her an influence in Sinkiang
that far outstripped that of Britain.In contrast to the diminutive British