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Overview
Tracing its origins in Mesopotamia to its modern role on the global geopolitical stage, historian Arthur Cotterell offers a compelling, lively, and readable account of one of the most culturally diverse, and often misunderstood, parts of the world. Beginning with the emergence of the world's earliest civilization in 3000 BC, Asia: A Concise History provides a fascinating look at the global convulsions-like the rise and fall of Assyria and Persia, the medieval states that flourished after the advent of Islam, and the modern transformations triggered by the lightning conquests of imperial Japan-that have shaped the continent.
- Covers the great events and figures of Asian history, along with a look at the monumental remains that bear witness to those times: the ziggurats of Iraq, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, the temple of Angkor Wat
- Includes fascinating slices of history, including funeral arrangements for Qin Shi Huangdi in 210 BC; an extract from Lord Macartney's journal of his 1793 diplomatic mission to the Qing emperor Qian Long; and Toyotomi Hideyoshi's edict of 1587 banning firearms in Japan
- Features boxed inserts of special interest-like a Babylonian recipe for lamb stew circa 1500 BC
- Contains over 100 illustrations, maps, and photos
- Other books by Cotterell: The Minoan World, The First Emperor of China, The Encyclopedia of Mythology, and Chariot
Destined to become a reference staple for history buffs and students of Asian history, Asia: A Concise History offers readers a breathtaking narrative and wealth of detail that make the formative periods, key events, and personalities from this once remote part of the world come alive.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780470825044 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| Publication date: | 08/30/2011 |
| Pages: | 450 |
| Sales rank: | 903,063 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.90(d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Preface xiIntroduction xiii
List of Maps xx
Photo Credits xxi
Part 1: Ancient Asia 1
Chapter 1: Ancient West Asia 3
The First Civilisation: Sumer 3
The Great Empires: Babylon, Assyria and Persia 12
Understanding the World: Religion and Myth 21
Endgame: Greco-Roman Europe Versus Persian Asia 30
Chapter 2: Ancient South Asia 41
Asia’s Second Civilisation: The Indus Valley 41
Epic India: The Aryan Invasion 49
The Buddhist Revolution: The Mauryan Empire 55
The Age of Invasion: From the Bactrians to the Huns 64
Chapter 3: Ancient East Asia 74
The Cradle of the East: The Shang Dynasty 74
Classical China: The Zhou Dynasty 82
Imperial Unification: The Qin and Former Han Emperors 90
Imperial Crisis: The Failure of the Later Han 100
Chapter 4: Ancient Central Asia 107
The Steppe: An Intercontinental Highway 107
Nomads: The Scourge of the Sown 116
The Spread of Buddhism: The First Pan-Asian Faith 126
The Great Raid: Attila the Hun 135
Part 2: Medieval Asia 141
Chapter 5: Medieval West Asia 143
Islam: The Second Pan-Asian Faith 143
The Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates 151
The Coming of the Seljuks 157
The Crusades 161
Safavid Persia 166
The Ottoman Empire 171
Chapter 6: Medieval South Asia 178
The Arrival of Islam 178
The Hindu and Buddhist Kingdoms 186
The Mughal Empire 192
European Rivalry 202
The British Triumph 210
Chapter 7: Medieval East Asia 213
Tang and Song China 213
Confucian Korea 225
Feudal Japan 230
The Ming Revival 239
Chapter 8: Medieval Central Asia 246
The Turks and the Qidans 246
The Tibetan Empire 251
The Mongol Empire 256
Tamerlane, the Sword of Islam 267
The Manchu Conquests 271
Chapter 9: Medieval Southeast Asia 277
Independent Vietnam 277
The Khmer Empire 282
The Kingdoms of Burma 289
The Island Powers: Srivijaya, Mataram and Majapahit 293
The Slow Spread of Islam 300
The Advent of European Power 302
The Rise of the Thai 307
Part 3: Modern Asia 315
Chapter 10: Modern West Asia 317
The Fall of the Ottoman Empire 317
Between World Wars 322
The Founding of Israel 327
Syria, Lebanon and Jordan 328
Iraq versus Iran 330
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States 335
Modern Turkey 336
Chapter 11: Modern South Asia 339
The British Raj 339
The Indian Mutiny 344
The End of Company Rule 351
Gandhi and Indian Nationalism 353
Independence and Partition 358
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh 360
Chapter 12: Modern East Asia 363
China’s Humiliation 363
Japanese Imperialism 369
The People’s Republic of China 378
The Korean War 382
The Rise of the Pacific Rim 384
Chapter 13: Modern Central Asia 386
The Russian Advance 386
The Great Game 393
Afghanistan, the Land of Bones 397
Siberia and Mongolia 400
The Central Asian Republics 403
Chapter 14: Modern Southeast Asia 407
The Dutch East Indies 407
The British Possessions 410
French Indochina and Thailand 415
The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere 419
Post-War Decolonisation 423
The Republic of Indonesia 427
The Tragedy of Vietnam 430
Filipino Democracy 434
Postscript: The Rise of Present-Day Asia 437
Glossary 441
Further Reading 444
Index 453