The first comprehensive history of Central Asia from antiquity to the present, Empires of the Silk Road, represents a fundamental revision of the origins, history, and significance of this important global region. Christopher Beckwith describes the rise and fall of the great empires of Central Asia, including the Scythians, the Huns under Attila, the Turks, and the Tibetans, as well as Genghis Khan and the Mongols.
Furthermore, it explains why the heart of Central Asia led the world economically, scientifically, and artistically for many centuries despite attacks from Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Chinese, and others. Recounting the history of the ancient world from the perspective of Central Asia, Beckwith offers a new understanding of the internal and external dynamics of Central Asian states and shows how their peoples repeatedly challenged the Eurasian civilization.
Beckwith narrates the migration of Indo-Europeans from Central Asia, their integration with local populations, and the subsequent development of Greek, Roman, Persian, Indian, and Chinese cultures. He describes the foundation of Central Asia's flourishing pre-modern economy, the disintegration of that economy after the region was partitioned by the Chinese and Russians in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the impact of Modernism on Central Asian culture. He also discusses the significance for world history of the partial reemergence of Central Asian nations after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Empires of the Silk Road situates Central Asia within a global historical context and demonstrates why the region is central to understanding the history of civilization.
