Przheval'skii, Asia and empire

Nikolai Przheval'skii (1839-88) was one of the most prominent Russian explorers of the nineteenth century. His journeys across Central Asia captured the imagination of the Russian public, but he also articulated a set of ideas that encapsulated how Russia perceived its Asian neighbours. Przheval'skii saw Asian peoples as inferior and he argued that Russia had a duty to extend its influence in Asia. His ideas were in the tradition of Russian nationalism that justified Russian imperial expansion, and Przheval'skii's adventures, scientific work and thinking had a substantial impact on both government policy and the public perception of Russia's empire.