Islam in Central Asia and the Caucasus Since the Fall of the Soviet Union

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Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 019091727X
Total Pages : 260 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (99 download)

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Book Synopsis Islam in Central Asia and the Caucasus Since the Fall of the Soviet Union by : Bayram Balci

Download or read book Islam in Central Asia and the Caucasus Since the Fall of the Soviet Union written by Bayram Balci and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2018-11-15 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, a major turning point in all former Soviet republics, Central Asian and Caucasian countries began to reflect on their history and identities. As a consequence of their opening up to the global exchange of ideas, various strains of Islam and trends in Islamic thought have nourished the Islamic revival that had already started in the context of glasnost and perestroika--from Turkey, Iran, the Arabian Peninsula, and from the Indian subcontinent; the four regions with strong ties to Central Asian and Caucasian Islam in the years before Soviet occupation. Bayram Balci seeks to analyse how these new Islamic influences have reached local societies and how they have interacted with pre-existing religious belief and practice. Combining exceptional erudition with rare first-hand research, Balci's book provides a sophisticated account of both the internal dynamics and external influences in the evolution of Islam in the region.

The Long Game on the Silk Road

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Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1538114658
Total Pages : 163 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (381 download)

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Book Synopsis The Long Game on the Silk Road by : S. Frederick Starr

Download or read book The Long Game on the Silk Road written by S. Frederick Starr and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-04-03 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book argues that American and European policies toward Central Asia and the Caucasus suffer from both conceptual and structural impediments. It traces the framework of Western policies to the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, which resulted in the stovepiping of relations into political, economic, and democracy categories – and in often uncoordinated or contradictory policies. While the authors embrace the goal of promoting human rights and democracy, they argue that the antagonistic methods adopted to advance this goal have proven counter-productive. They propose that Western governments work with the regional states rather than on or against them; and that instead of focusing directly on political systems, policies should focus on developing the quality of governance and help build institutions that will be building blocks of rule of law and democracy in the long term. The authors also argue that Western leaders have largely failed to grasp the significance of this region, relegated it to a subordinate status and thus damaging western interests. The development of sovereign, economically strong, and effectively self-governing states in the Caucasus and Central Asia is an important goal in its own right; the book stresses the importance of a region where the development and preservation of secular statehood could become a model for the entire Muslim world.

Central Asia and the Caucasus

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134319940
Total Pages : 254 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (343 download)

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Book Synopsis Central Asia and the Caucasus by : Touraj Atabaki

Download or read book Central Asia and the Caucasus written by Touraj Atabaki and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2004-11-10 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on the dynamics among transnational forces within and beyond Central Asia and explores the roles played by diaspora communities in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1315501716
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (155 download)

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Book Synopsis Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia by : Rajan Menon

Download or read book Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia written by Rajan Menon and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-07-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This comprehensive exploration of the international environment examines not only traditional political-military concerns but also economic, ethnic, and environmental issues and the role of crime, terrorism, the drug trade, and migration in the security environment of Russia and its neighbours to the south. This approach takes account of both the internal and external aspects of security problems and their interplay. The participation of international authors facilitates the consideration of each problem from all relevant points of view.

Identity and Politics in Central Asia and the Caucasus

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317556402
Total Pages : 224 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (175 download)

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Book Synopsis Identity and Politics in Central Asia and the Caucasus by : Mohammed Ayoob

Download or read book Identity and Politics in Central Asia and the Caucasus written by Mohammed Ayoob and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-02-20 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The multicultural region of Central Eurasia is living through its early post-independence years and as such serves as an ideal case to study and analyse theories of identity and foreign policy in a non-European context. Looking to re-introduce identity as a multidimensional factor informing state behaviour, this book analyses the experiences of the different Central Eurasian states in their post-independence pursuits. The book is structured into two broadly defined sections, with the first half examining the different ways in which the combination of domestic, regional, international and trans-national forces worked to advance one national identity over the others in the states that comprise the region of post-Soviet Central Eurasia. In the second half, chapters analyse the many ways in which identity, once shaped, affected foreign policy behaviours of the regional states, as well as the overall security dynamics in the region. The book also looks at the ways in which identity, by doing so, enjoys an intricate, mutually constitutive relationship with the strategic context in which it bears its effects on the state and the region. Finally, given the special role Russia has historically played in defining the evolutionary trajectory of the regional states, the book discusses the ways in which Russia itself and its post-cold war policies towards its former colonies have been conditioned by factors associated with Russia’s evolving post-Soviet identity. Placing the region firmly within existing theories of identity and state practices, the book will be of interest to students and scholars of Central Asian Politics, Security Studies, Foreign Policy and International Relations.

Ferghana Valley

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317470656
Total Pages : 531 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (174 download)

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Book Synopsis Ferghana Valley by : S. Frederick Starr

Download or read book Ferghana Valley written by S. Frederick Starr and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-12-18 with total page 531 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ferghana Valley can reasonably be said to lie in the heart of Central Asia. As such, the Valley has made an inordinate contribution to the history and culture of the region as a whole, as well as significantly affecting the economic, political and religious spheres. This book looks at the region over time, from its early history to the present. It embraces not just the obvious fields of politics, economics and religion, but also ethnography, sociology and culture, and includes the insights of leading scholars from all three Ferghana countries. The book discusses various questions of identity relating to the region, showing how the identity of the Ferghana Valley relates to the emerging national identities of the three post-colonial states that are still gradually emerging from the demise of the Soviet Union, as well as how an understanding of the Ferghana Valley is key to understanding Central Asia itself.

Conflict and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 434 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis Conflict and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus by : Hooman Peimani

Download or read book Conflict and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus written by Hooman Peimani and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2009-07-08 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the only book since the fall of the Soviet Union to analyze the security of the newly emerged independent states in the strategically vital region of Central Asia and the Caucasus. This insightful work maps out the possibilities and dangers that lie ahead for the nations of Central Asia and the Caucasus. The book analyzes the current security situation and clarifies its historical context, identifying the factors that have shaped the security of these young nations since their independence. It also examines the parameters—political, economic, ethnic, energy, and military—that will decide the security of the region in the future. The book's author tells the whole story behind the headlines when he discusses, for example, the real reason for the "wine war" of 2006, when Russia banned imports of Georgian wine for "health reasons," or when explaining the impact of the expanding American presence—both political and military—after September 11. Conflict and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus is a primer for those who want to know more about this strategic region and essential reading for all students of world affairs.

Mobilities, Boundaries, and Travelling Ideas

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Author :
Publisher : Saint Philip Street Press
ISBN 13 : 9781013290497
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Mobilities, Boundaries, and Travelling Ideas by : Manja Stephan-Emmrich

Download or read book Mobilities, Boundaries, and Travelling Ideas written by Manja Stephan-Emmrich and published by Saint Philip Street Press. This book was released on 2020-10-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection brings together a variety of anthropological, historical and sociological case studies from Central Asia and the Caucasus to examine the concept of translocality. The chapters scrutinize the capacity of translocality to describe, in new ways, the multiple mobilities, exchange practices and globalizing processes that link places, people and institutions in Central Asia and the Caucasus with others in Russia, China and the United Arab Emirates.Illuminating translocality as a productive concept for studying cross‐regional connectivities and networks, this volume is an important contribution to a lively field of academic discourse. Following new directions in Area Studies, the chapters aim to overcome 'territorial containers' such as the nation‐state or local community, and instead emphasize the significance of processes of translation and negotiation for understanding how meaningful localities emerge beyond conventional boundaries.Structured by the four themes 'crossing boundaries', 'travelling ideas', 'social and economic movements' and 'pious endeavours', this volume proposes three conceptual approaches to translocality: firstly, to trace how it is embodied, narrated, virtualized or institutionalized within or in reference to physical or imagined localities; secondly, to understand locality as a relational concept rather than a geographically bounded unit; and thirdly, to consider cross‐border traders, travelling students, business people and refugees as examples of non-elite mobilities that provide alternative ways to think about what 'global' means today.Mobilities, Boundaries, and Travelling Ideas will be of interest to students and scholars of the anthropology, history and sociology of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as for those interested in new approaches to Area Studies. This work was published by Saint Philip Street Press pursuant to a Creative Commons license permitting commercial use. All rights not granted by the work's license are retained by the author or authors.

Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan [Illustrated Edition]

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Author :
Publisher : Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782899650
Total Pages : 215 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (828 download)

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Book Synopsis Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan [Illustrated Edition] by : Dr. Robert F. Baumann

Download or read book Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan [Illustrated Edition] written by Dr. Robert F. Baumann and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: [Includes 12 maps and 4 tables] In recent years, the U.S. Army has paid increasing attention to the conduct of unconventional warfare. However, the base of historical experience available for study has been largely American and overwhelmingly Western. In Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan, Dr. Robert F. Baumann makes a significant contribution to the expansion of that base with a well-researched analysis of four important episodes from the Russian-Soviet experience with unconventional wars. Primarily employing Russian sources, including important archival documents only recently declassified and made available to Western scholars, Dr. Baumann provides an insightful look at the Russian conquest of the Caucasian mountaineers (1801-59), the subjugation of Central Asia (1839-81), the reconquest of Central Asia by the Red Army (1918-33), and the Soviet war in Afghanistan (1979-89). The history of these wars—especially as it relates to the battle tactics, force structure, and strategy employed in them—offers important new perspectives on elements of continuity and change in combat over two centuries. This is the first study to provide an in-depth examination of the evolution of the Russian and Soviet unconventional experience on the predominantly Muslim southern periphery of the former empire. There, the Russians encountered fierce resistance by peoples whose cultures and views of war differed sharply from their own. Consequently, this Leavenworth Paper addresses not only issues germane to combat but to a wide spectrum of civic and propaganda operations as well.

The Politics of Transition in Central Asia and the Caucasus

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 113420745X
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (342 download)

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Book Synopsis The Politics of Transition in Central Asia and the Caucasus by : Amanda E Wooden

Download or read book The Politics of Transition in Central Asia and the Caucasus written by Amanda E Wooden and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2009-06-08 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most books on the Caucasus and Central Asia are country-by-country studies. This book, on the other hand, fills a gap in Central Eurasian studies as one of the few comparative case study books on Central Eurasia, covering both the Caucasus and Central Asia; it considers key themes right across the two regions highlighting both political change and continuity. Comparative case study chapters, written by regional experts from a variety of methodological backgrounds, provide historical context, and evaluate Soviet political legacies and emerging policy outcomes. Key topics include: the varied types and sources of authoritarianism; political opposition and protest politics; predetermined outcomes of post-Soviet economic choices; social and stability impacts of natural resource wealth; variations in educational reform; international norm influence on gender policy and the power of human rights activists. Overall, the book provides a thorough, up-to-date overview of what is increasingly becoming a significant area of concern.

Samarkand: Recipes and Stories From Central Asia and the Caucasus

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Author :
Publisher : Hachette UK
ISBN 13 : 0857839993
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (578 download)

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Book Synopsis Samarkand: Recipes and Stories From Central Asia and the Caucasus by : Caroline Eden

Download or read book Samarkand: Recipes and Stories From Central Asia and the Caucasus written by Caroline Eden and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2021-06-03 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Guild of Food Writers Food and Travel Award 2017 'This is a book to delight food lovers, travel hounds and history buffs alike.' The Telegraph 'As an armchair traveler, I was led by Caroline Eden's firsthand account of journeys to the Uzbek city of Samarkand and other exotic destinations, then lured into the kitchen by Eleanor Ford's fine recipes' New York Times 'A particularly expansive and ambitious example of the genre. Imagine a Lonely Planet guide to Uzbekistan and beyond, with a hundred recipes.' LA Times 'I am LOVING it! So interesting to see so many familiar but also lesser known recipes! Beautiful pictures too! Love the styling! Love it!' Sabrina Ghayour Over hundreds of years, various ethnic groups have passed through Samarkand, sharing and influencing each other's cuisine and leaving their culinary stamp. This book is a love letter to Central Asia and the Caucasus, containing personal travel essays and recipes little known in the West that have been expertly adapted for the home cook. An array of delicious dishes will introduce the region and its different ethnic groups - Uzbek, Tajik, Russian, Turkish, Korean, Caucasian and Jewish - along with a detailed introduction on the Silk Road and a useful store cupboard of essential ingredients. Chapters are divided into Shared Table, Soups, Roast Meats & Kebabs, Warming Dishes, Pilavs & Plovs, Accompaniments, Breads & Doughs, Drinks and Desserts. 100 recipes are showcased, including Apricot & Red Lentil Soup, Chapli Kebabs with Tomato Relish, Rosh Hashanah Palov with Barberries, Pomegranate and Quince, Curd Pancakes with Red Berry Compote and the all-important breads of the region. And with evocative travel features like On the Road to Samarkand, A Banquet on the Caspian Sea and Shopping for Spices under Solomon's Throne, you will be charmed and enticed by this region and its cuisine, which has remained relatively untouched in centuries.

Green Finance and Investment Sustainable Infrastructure for Low-Carbon Development in Central Asia and the Caucasus Hotspot Analysis and Needs Assessment

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Author :
Publisher : OECD Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9264628347
Total Pages : 271 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (646 download)

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Book Synopsis Green Finance and Investment Sustainable Infrastructure for Low-Carbon Development in Central Asia and the Caucasus Hotspot Analysis and Needs Assessment by : OECD

Download or read book Green Finance and Investment Sustainable Infrastructure for Low-Carbon Development in Central Asia and the Caucasus Hotspot Analysis and Needs Assessment written by OECD and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2019-12-19 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report analyses planned infrastructure projects, decision-making frameworks related to infrastructure development and strategic planning documents in eight countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Energy and Conflict in Central Asia and the Caucasus

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Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 9780742500631
Total Pages : 290 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis Energy and Conflict in Central Asia and the Caucasus by : Robert E. Ebel

Download or read book Energy and Conflict in Central Asia and the Caucasus written by Robert E. Ebel and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2000 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely study is the first to examine the relationship between competition for energy resources and the propensity for conflict in the Caspian region. Taking the discussion well beyond issues of pipeline politics and the significance of Caspian oil and gas to the global market, the book offers significant new findings concerning the impact of energy wealth on the political life and economies of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. The contributors, a leading group of scholars and policymakers, explore the differing interests of ruling elites, the political opposition, and minority ethnic and religious groups region-wide. Placing Caspian development in the broader international relations context, the book assesses the ways in which Russia, China, Iran, and Turkey are fighting to protect their interests in the newly independent states and how competition for production contracts and pipeline routes influences regional security. Specific chapters also link regional issues to central questions of international politics and to theoretical debates over the role of energy wealth in political and economic development worldwide. Woven throughout the implications for U.S. policy, giving the book wide appeal to policymakers, corporate executives, energy analysts, and scholars alike.

Energy, Wealth and Governance in the Caucasus and Central Asia

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134194145
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (341 download)

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Book Synopsis Energy, Wealth and Governance in the Caucasus and Central Asia by : Richard Auty

Download or read book Energy, Wealth and Governance in the Caucasus and Central Asia written by Richard Auty and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2006-08-21 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing upon recent progress in development economics and political science, the book provides fresh analysis of the Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA) countries transition to a market economy by tracing the impact of natural resource endowment. The book examines the synergies between energy-rich and energy-poor states and highlights the practical consequences of both well-managed and poorly-managed deployment of energy. Featuring contributions from prominent specialists on resource-driven economies, the book argues that unless CCA elites change the way in which they deploy natural resource, revenues regional development will fall short of its potential with possible disastrous consequences. The contributors apply the experience of the developing market economies to demonstrate that the region still holds considerable potential to become an important, stable supplier of raw materials and a source of industrial demand to the global economy. However, the CCA is equally likely to become a threat to the global economy as a consequence of the misuse of energy revenues to promote the interests of predatory political elites.

Conflict, Cleavage, and Change in Central Asia and the Caucasus

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521597319
Total Pages : 448 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (973 download)

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Book Synopsis Conflict, Cleavage, and Change in Central Asia and the Caucasus by : Karen Dawisha

Download or read book Conflict, Cleavage, and Change in Central Asia and the Caucasus written by Karen Dawisha and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1997-06-13 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume examines the former Soviet states of Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Conflict and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 159884055X
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (988 download)

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Book Synopsis Conflict and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus by : Hooman Peimani

Download or read book Conflict and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus written by Hooman Peimani and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2009-07-08 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the only book since the fall of the Soviet Union to analyze the security of the newly emerged independent states in the strategically vital region of Central Asia and the Caucasus. This insightful work maps out the possibilities and dangers that lie ahead for the nations of Central Asia and the Caucasus. The book analyzes the current security situation and clarifies its historical context, identifying the factors that have shaped the security of these young nations since their independence. It also examines the parameters—political, economic, ethnic, energy, and military—that will decide the security of the region in the future. The book's author tells the whole story behind the headlines when he discusses, for example, the real reason for the "wine war" of 2006, when Russia banned imports of Georgian wine for "health reasons," or when explaining the impact of the expanding American presence—both political and military—after September 11. Conflict and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus is a primer for those who want to know more about this strategic region and essential reading for all students of world affairs.

Lost Enlightenment

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Author :
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691165858
Total Pages : 694 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (911 download)

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Book Synopsis Lost Enlightenment by : S. Frederick Starr

Download or read book Lost Enlightenment written by S. Frederick Starr and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2015-06-02 with total page 694 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The forgotten story of Central Asia's enlightenment—its rise, fall, and enduring legacy In this sweeping and richly illustrated history, S. Frederick Starr tells the fascinating but largely unknown story of Central Asia's medieval enlightenment through the eventful lives and astonishing accomplishments of its greatest minds—remarkable figures who built a bridge to the modern world. Because nearly all of these figures wrote in Arabic, they were long assumed to have been Arabs. In fact, they were from Central Asia—drawn from the Persianate and Turkic peoples of a region that today extends from Kazakhstan southward through Afghanistan, and from the easternmost province of Iran through Xinjiang, China. Lost Enlightenment recounts how, between the years 800 and 1200, Central Asia led the world in trade and economic development, the size and sophistication of its cities, the refinement of its arts, and, above all, in the advancement of knowledge in many fields. Central Asians achieved signal breakthroughs in astronomy, mathematics, geology, medicine, chemistry, music, social science, philosophy, and theology, among other subjects. They gave algebra its name, calculated the earth's diameter with unprecedented precision, wrote the books that later defined European medicine, and penned some of the world's greatest poetry. One scholar, working in Afghanistan, even predicted the existence of North and South America—five centuries before Columbus. Rarely in history has a more impressive group of polymaths appeared at one place and time. No wonder that their writings influenced European culture from the time of St. Thomas Aquinas down to the scientific revolution, and had a similarly deep impact in India and much of Asia. Lost Enlightenment chronicles this forgotten age of achievement, seeks to explain its rise, and explores the competing theories about the cause of its eventual demise. Informed by the latest scholarship yet written in a lively and accessible style, this is a book that will surprise general readers and specialists alike.