Was the Civilizing Mission truly meant to civilize the people of Central Asia?

It truly was the great game. It was the struggle that took place between the two superpowers - Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia over the lonely passes and the blazing desert of Central Asia. I would say that the great game was much like an enormous game of chess; with Russia seeking to expand its borders and Great Britain seeking to safeguard its interests in India. While it was never made clear in Hopkirk's book …

…has written something about Central Asians "There they were upon you - slaughtering, raping, pillaging, and burning. Like molten lava, they destroyed everything in their path.......leading all the way back to their homeland in Central Asia" (Hopkirk 9). As a final observation, I would characterize the author as extremely racist and pro-British. If I ever wanted an accurate account of the events that took place in Central Asia, I would never ever read his book.