Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia

The Scythians were among the first people to dominate large parts of Central Asia. Explore their nomadic lifestyle, and their excavated burial mounds, showing spectacular grave goods with great artistic sophistication. Review astonishing archaeological findings that confirm some of the more outlandish parts of Herodotus's account of the Scythians from the fourth century BCE.

The history of the Eurasian steppe was shaped by the interface of the nomadic tribes at its core and the sedentary civilizations that surrounded it. Track the incursions onto the steppe of the Persian Achaemenid Dynasty, the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, the Kushan Empire, and the Han Dynasty of China. See how these interactions produced a remarkable fusion of cultures, ideas, and languages.

Religion became a key form of cultural fusion in early Central Asia. Trace the influence in the region of the beliefs and rituals of Zoroastrianism, and the role of Buddhism in the development of long-distance trade. Road. Learn of the ancient civilization's embrace of Nestorian Christianity, through which the religion first entered Central Asia and China.

The Xiongnu nomads of Mongolia were one of the first nomadic confederations to become an empire. Chart the Xiongnu's defeat of the Chinese Han dynasty, and the eventual success of the Han in reducing the Xiongnu to vassals. Learn about the key role of procured luxury goods in Xiongnu political culture, the stunning intricacy of nomadic animal art, and core nomadic religious beliefs and practices.

Trace the origins of Turkic nomadic peoples, the emergence of the Turkic khaganate in the sixth century, and their expansion to become the first empire to link Europe with China. With the fall of the Turk khaganate, there rose another Turkic empire, the Uyghur khaganate. Grasp the distinctive role of the religion of Manichaeism under Uyghur rule and the Uyghur construction of impressive cities.

The Khazar khaganate was unique in being a Jewish state which took root outside of the Middle East. Investigate the origins of the Khazars, how they came to embrace Judaism, and the function the faith played in their political life. Explore their singular culture and system of two rulers, and how their powerful state dominated central areas of the steppe for nearly three centuries.

The absorption of Central Asia into the Islamic world completely transformed the region and its peoples. Study the four phases of the Arab conquest of the Eurasian steppe in the seventh and eighth centuries, and the resulting cosmopolitan Islamic civilization which integrated the cultures of nomadic and sedentary peoples. Trace the history of rule in the region by the Abbasid caliphate.

The Samanid dynasty followed the Abbasid tradition of patronage of scholars and artists, making its great capital of Bukhara a center of learning that rivaled Baghdad. Take the measure of some of history's greatest minds that emerged in this setting, such as polymaths Avicenna, considered the father of modern medicine; visionary philosopher al-Farabi; and "first anthropologist" al-Biruni.

As precursors to the renowned Mongols, observe how the Qarakhanid Empire helped build a distinct Turko-Persian civilization and intellectual life. Then trace the epic conquests of the Mongols, who created one of the largest empires in history. Grasp the ways in which, despite their aggression and brutality, the Mongols continued the legacy of the Turko-Persian empires which preceded them.