History of Central Asia, The: 4-volume set (The History of Central Asia)

Synopsis

An Illustrated History Of One Of The Most Compelling And Mysterious Regions On Earth. It Is A Unique Travelogue And Resource And Will Appeal To Scholars And Students Of Antiquity, History, Archaeology And Religious Studies. The Epic Plains And Arid Deserts Of Central Asia Have Witnessed Some Of The Greatest Migrations, As Well As Many Of The Most Transformative Developments, In The History Of Civilization. Christoph Baumer's Ambitious Treatment Of The Region Charts The 3000-year Drama Of Scythians And Sarmatians; Soviets And Transcontinental Silk Roads; Trade Routes And The Transmission Of Ideas Across The Steppes; And, The Breathless And Brutal Conquests Of Alexander The Great And Genghis Khan. Vol. 1. The Age Of The Steppe Warriors -- Vol. 2. The Age Of The Silk Roads -- Vol. 3. The Age Of Islam And The Mongols -- Vol. 4. The Age Of Decline And Revival. Volume 1. Geography, Climate And Prehuman History Of Central Asia -- The Settlement Of Central Asia In The Palaeolithic -- A Global Climatic Warming Ushers In The Mesolithic -- The Economic Revolution Of The Neolithic -- The Chalcolithic And The Early Bronze Age -- The Middle And Late Bronze Age -- The Iron Age -- Greeks In Central Asia -- Outlook -- Appendix. The Most Important Prehistoric And Early Historic Cultures Of Central Asia. -- Volume 2. Early Empires And Kingdoms In East Central Asia -- Early Buddhism In Central Asia And The Gandhara School -- The Migration Of Hunnic Peoples To Northern China, Central Asia And Eastern Europe -- The Kingdoms Of The Tarim Basin And Their Schools Of Buddhist Art -- The First Turkic Khaganate -- Turkic Kingdoms Of Eastern Europe --the Sogdians -- The Second Turkic Khaganate And The Türgesh -- China, Tibet And The Arabs : The Struggle For Supremacy In Central Asia -- The Uyghurs -- Outlook -- Appendix. The Most Important Dynasties And Rulers Of Central Asia. -- Volume 3. Iranian-muslim Dynasties In South-west Central Asia -- Central Asian Pioneers Of Islamic Philosophy And Sciences -- The Second Turkic Migrations To The West -- Turco-muslim Dynasties In Southern Central Asia -- Buddhist States Of The Liao, Qara Khitai And Tanguts -- The Rise Of The Mongols -- The United Mongol Empire -- The Independent Mongol Khanates -- Timur-e Lang And The Timurids -- Outlook -- Appendices. A. The Most Important Denominations Of Islam And Early Muslim Dynasties Outside Central Asia -- B. The Most Important Dynasties Of Central Asia From The Ninth To The Early Sixteenth Centuries -- Volume 4. Descendants Of The Genghis Khanids -- The Descendants Of The Timurids : The Dynasty Of The Mughal In India And Afghanistan -- A Reorganisation Of Geography : North Central Asia Becomes A Periphery -- Afghanistan Until 1837 And The Khanates Of Central Asia Until The Russian Conquest -- The 'great Game' : Central Asia As A Pivot Of Russian And British Expansion Policy -- The Drive For Sovereignty; Central Asia Between The World Wars -- A Multilateral Great Game In Afghanistan, 1978-92 -- Afghanistan Forces The Three Major Powers To Engage In A Joint Struggle Against Islamic Extremism -- The New Independence Of Central Asian States -- Outlook -- Appendix. The Most Important Dynasties Of Central Asia From The Sixteenth To The Early Twentieth Century. Christoph Baumer. Planned As Four Volumes (from Introduction And Chapter 9). Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.