Islamic Central Asia : an anthology of historical sources / edited by Scott C. Levi and Ron Sela.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Levi, Scott Cameron.

Sela, Ron

Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Islam.

History.

Civilization.

Asia, Central--History--Sources.

Asia, Central.

Asia, Central--Civilization--Islamic influences--Sources.

Islam--Asia, Central--History--Sources.

Central Asia.

Genre:

Sources.

Physical Description:

xiii, 318 pages : 1 maps ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Bloomington : Indiana University Press, [2010]

Summary:

Islamic Central Asia is the first English-language anthology of primary documents for the study of Central Asian history. Scott C. Levi and Ron Sela draw from a vast array of historical sources to illustrate important aspects of the social, cultural, political, and economic history of Islamic Central Asia. These documents-many newly translated and most not readily available for study-cover the period from the seventh-century Arab conquests to the nineteenth-century Russian colonial era and provide new insights into the history and significance of the region.

Contents:

Part 1 Central Asia in the Early Islamic Period, Seventh to Tenth Centuries

Introduction 7

A Central Asia and the Arab Conquests 11

1 Baladhuri: The Arab Conquests of Central Asia 11

2 Tabari: Another Look at the Arab Conquests 16

B Central Asia under the Samanids 23

3 Narshakhi: The Rise of the House of Saman 23

4 Hudud al-'Alam: The Frontiers of the Muslim World in the Tenth Century 28

C The Age of Learning 35

5 Ibn Sina: Biographical Notes 35

6 al-Biruni: On the Importance of the Sciences 39

Part 2 Encounter with the Turks

Introduction 47

A Turkic Peoples of the Steppe 51

7 The Orkhon Inscriptions: The Early Turks 51

8 al-Jahiz: The Peculiarities of the Turks 55

9 Gardizi: The Turks in Early Muslim Traditions 59

10 Ibn Fadlan: Journey to the Northern Lands 65

B Qarakhanids: The First Turkic Muslim State in Central Asia 69

11 al-Kashghari: On the Linguistic Distribution of the Turks 69

12 Jamal Qarshi: The Conversion to Islam of Satuq Bughra Khan 73

13 Yusuf Hass Hajib: Advice to the Qarakhanid Rulers 76

C Central Asia in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries 83

14 al-'Utbi: The Alliance of the Ghaznavids and Qarakhanids 83

15 Ibn Khallikan: Biography of the Vizier Nizam al-Mulk 89

16 Nizam al-Mulk: A Mirror for Princes 92

17 Qabus-nama: A Different Mirror for Princes 95

18 Liao Shih: Nomadic Khitan State and Society 100

Part 3 The Mongol Empire

Introduction 111

A Temujin and the Rise of the Mongol Empire 115

19 Secret History of the Mongols: Temujin's Origins 115

20 Hayton: Temujin and the Rise of the Mongol Empire 120

21 Nasawi: The Khorezmshah's Downfall 125

22 Chang Chun: A Daoist Monk in Central Asia 130

23 Juzjani: Chaghatay the Accursed! 135

B Islamic Central Asia under Mongol Rule 139

24 Rashid al-Din: In Defense of Chaghatay Khan 139

25 Juvaini: The Il-Khan Hülegü Captures the Castles of the Heretics 142

26 Mirza Haydar Dughlat: The Conversion to Islam of Tughluq Timur Khan 149

27 Ibn Battuta: Travels in Western Central Asia in the Fourteenth Century 153

Part 4 Timur and the Timurids

Introduction 161

A Timur's Rise and Rule 165

28 Ibn 'Arabshah: Timur and His Steppe Campaigns 165

29 Ibn Khaldun: Personal Narrative of a Meeting with Timur 171

30 Ruy Gonzl̀ez de Clavijo: A Spanish Embassy to Timur's Capital 175

B Central Asia in the Fifteenth Century 181

31 Khwandamir: Timur's Heirs: Shahrukh and Ulughbeg 181

32 Nava'i: A Comparison between Persian and Turkic 184

33 Khoja Ahrar: Letters 188

34 Five Readings on Sufi Orders in Central Asia: Competition, Practice, Politics 190

Part 5 Central Asia in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries

Introduction 199

A The Shb̐anids and Central Asian Society in the Sixteenth Century 203

35 Zubdat al-athar: The Beginnings of the Shb̐anid State 203

36 Babur: Description of the Farghana Valley and Babur's Ejection from Samarqand 208

37 Anthony Jenkinson: An English Merchant in Central Asia 215

38 Juybari Archives: A Sixteenth-Century Bukharan Deed of Sale 221

39 Akbar, Emperor of India: A Letter to 'Abdallah Khan Uzbek, King of Turan 222

B Central Asia in the Seventeenth Century 227

40 Abu'l-Ghazi: Reasons for Writing the Genealogies of the Turks and Turkmens 227

41 Ivan Khokhlov: A Russian Envoy to Central Asia 230

42 Sayyeda-ye Nasafi: A Visit to the Shrine of Baha' al -Din Naqshband 233

43 Churas: Erke Bek, a Turkestani in the Service of the Oirats 237

Part 6 Central Asia in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries

Introduction 243

A The Age of Transition 247

44 Timur's Legendary Biographies 247

45 Thompson and Hogg: British Trade East of the Caspian 255

46 'Abd al-Karim Kashmiri: Nadir Shah's Campaign in Central Asia 260

B The Uzbek Tribal Dynasties 265

47 Tuhfat al-khani: The Inauguration of Muhammad Rahim Khan Manght̐ 265

48 Majma' al-arqam: An Administrative Manual from Bukhara 270

49 A Collection of Royal Decrees from Khiva 272

50 Muntakhab al-tavarikh: On the Relations between Qoqand and Kashghar 274

C The "Great Game" to Russian Rule 281

51 Alexander Burnes: The Importance of Bukhara in Great Game Politics 281

52 Mohan Lai: A Journey among the Turkmens 287

53 Levshin: Observations on the Qazaqs 292

54 Nikolai Ignatiev: Russia's Agenda in Central Asia 295

55 Bayani: The Russian Conquest of Khiva and the Massacre of the Yomut Turkmens 300.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

ISBN:

9780253353856

0253353858

9780253221407

0253221404

OCLC:

313659112

Publisher Number:

99936608959