Hordes and Massed Machines: Samuel Huntington in Russia (History‪)‬

This article seeks to examine Huntingdon's 'clash of civilisations' thesis in the context of Russian attitudes towards Asia and the Russian Empire's Muslim populations. The Russian experience is particularly apposite because of Russia's geopolitical position and the ongoing debate that this has caused about whether Russia is part of Europe, Asia or Eurasia and how--in making a positive ideological identification with one of these--the 'other' is constructed in Russian cultural and intellectual history. While there are some similarities between early Russian attitudes to Mongol rule and the 'clash of civilisations' thesis, this essay attempts to show Huntingdon's limits by emphasising the importance of political and cultural continuity and hybridity in Russian attitudes towards its Muslim and pagan populations. INTRODUCTION