The Cambridge history of early Inner Asia : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

x, 518 pages : 24 cm

This volume introduces the geographical setting of Central Asia and follows its history from the palaeolithic era to the rise of the Mongol empire in the thirteenth century. From earliest times Central Asia linked and separated the great sedentary civilisations of Europe and Asia. In the pre-modern period 'Inner Asia' was definable more as a cultural than a geographical entity, its frontiers shifting according to the changing balances of power. Written by distinguished international scholars who have pioneered the exploration of Central Asia's poorly documented past, this volume discusses chronologically the varying historical achievements of the disparate population groups in the region

Includes bibliographical references (pages 424-494) and index

Introduction : the concept of Inner Asia / Denis Sinor -- The geographic setting / Robert N. Taaffe -- Inner Asia at the dawn of history / A.P. Okladnikov -- The Scythians and Sarmatians / A.I. Melyukova -- The Hsiung-nu / Ying-Shih Yü -- Indo-Europeans in Inner Asia / A.K. Narain -- The Hun period / Denis Sinor -- The Avars / Samuel Szádeczky-Kardoss -- The peoples of the Russian forest belt / Peter B. Golden -- The peoples of the south Russian steppes / Peter B. Golden -- The establishment and dissolution of the Türk empire / Denis Sinor -- The Uighurs / Colin Mackerras -- The Karakhanids and early Islam / Peter B. Golden -- Early and medieval Tibet / Helmut Hoffman -- The forest peoples of Manchuria : Kitans and Jurchens / Herbert Franke