This thesis seeks to unveil the hidden stories of the Silk Road, exploring how the British perception of Xinjiang contributes to our understanding of British imperialism in China from the late 19th century through the early 20th century, as well as the controversial situation occurring in the frontier today. Utilizing sources from British diplomats, explorers, and missionaries, this thesis argues that in the beginning, the British perceived Xinjiang as an economic promised land, attempting to establish a form of codependency. However, due to geopolitical and economic tensions with Russia and Qing China during the transition from the 19th to the 20th century, the British shifted its strategy towards epistemology and aestheticization to maintain its influence in Xinjiang, culminating in the imagination of Xinjiang as a land of abundance and consequently the arrival of European explorers and archaeologists. By the early 20th century, Xinjiang became a \"blank slate,\" as the British turned its attention towards globalization, leaving only a sense of altruism that resonates with the imagination of religious unity of Christian missionaries in China. The motifs of each chapter all tie back to the present-day situation in Xinjiang, illustrating how the situations regarding Uyghur oppression and Xi's Belt and Road Initiative are simply echoes of what had happened a century before.
"},{"label":"Degree","value":["Bachelor of Arts with Departmental Honors"]},{"label":"Author-supplied Keywords","value":["Silk Road","China","Geopolitics"]},{"label":"Administrative Note","value":"Drupal Node ID: 33877