Eurasian Crossroads: A History of Xinjiang / Edition 1

by James Millward

Overview

Eurasian Crossroads is the first comprehensive history of Xinjiang, the vast central Eurasian region bordering India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Mongolia. Forming one-sixth of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Xinjiang stands at the crossroads between China, India, the Mediterranean, and Russia and has, since the Bronze Age, played a pivotal role in the social, cultural, and political development of Asia and the world.

Xinjiang was once the hub of the Silk Road and the conduit through which Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam entered China. It was also the point at which the Chinese, Turkic, Tibetan, and Mongolian empires communicated and struggled with one another. Xinjiang's population comprises Kazakhs, Kirghiz, and Uighurs, all Turkic Muslim peoples, as well as Han Chinese, and competing Chinese and Turkic nationalist visions continue to threaten the region's political and economic stability. Besides separatist concerns, Xinjiang's energy resources, strategic position, and rapid development have gained it international attention in recent decades.

Drawing on primary sources in several Asian and European languages, James Millward presents a thorough study of Xinjiang's history and people from antiquity to the present and takes a balanced look at the position of Turkic Muslims within the PRC today. While offering fresh material and perspectives for specialists, this engaging survey of Xinjiang's rich environmental, cultural, and ethno-political heritage is also written for travelers, students, and anyone eager to learn about this vital connector between East and West.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231139243
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	04/10/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James Millward is professor of intersocietal history at the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. He specializes in the history of China and Central Eurasia, including Xinjiang. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, a journalist, and two daughters.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements ix

1 Ancient Encounters (earliest times-8th century) 1

2 Central Eurasia Ascendant (9th-16th centuries) 40

3 Between Islam and China (16th-19th centuries) 78

4 Between Empire and Nation (late 19th-early 20th century) 124

5 Between China and the Soviet Union (1910s-1940s) 178

6 In the People's Republic of China (1950s-1980s) 235

7 Between China and the World (1990s-2000s) 285

Conclusion: Balancing Acts 356

Appendix: Xinjiang Historical Timeline 373

General Bibliography 383

Index 413

What People are Saying About This

Rob Gifford

Eurasian Crossroads is a highly readable history of this vast and crucial region, where China's high-speed development drive collides with the aspirations of Muslim communities for national identity and cultural preservation. James Millward skillfully weaves all the different strands of Xinjiang's complex history into the colorful tapestry of his book, which is set to become the definitive reference on Xinjiang for laymen and scholars alike.

— Rob Gifford, former China correspondent for National Public Radio

Peter C. Perdue

Eurasian Crossroads is a superbly written history of a region little known to American readers. James Millward introduces many fascinating, diverse actors into the story of Xinjiang and makes excellent use of existing monographs and primary source material. There is no comparable study in the field.

— Peter C. Perdue, T.T. and Wei Fong Chao Professor of Asian Civilizations, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Editorial Reviews

The requisite scholarly reading on the region.

China Quarterly - Nicolas Becquelin

Well written, well documented, analytical, detailed and stimulating. I recommend it strongly.

American Historical Review - Colin MacKerras

The first successful attempt to grapple with the entire history of Xinjiang... Recommended.

Choice

Millward's book fills an important gap in the growing literature on Xingjiang, and it will be indispensable to students.

The Journal of Asian Studies - Ildiko Beller-Hann

[An] excellent... and invaluable book.

New York Review of Books - Jonathan Mirsky

A masterful and insightful piece of integrative scholarship, unique in the literature in its scope and execution, and a pleasure to read.

H-Soyuz - Morgan Liu

Well written, well documented, analytical, detailed and stimulating. I recommend it strongly.

Colin MacKerrasn Historical Review

The scope and depth of Mr. Millward's latest text is unmatched.

Far Eastern Economic Review - Ilaria Maria Sala

Millward's book fills an important gap in the growing literature on Xingjiang, and it will be indispensable to students.

— Ildiko Beller-Hann

The Journal of Asian Studies

A masterful and insightful piece of integrative scholarship, unique in the literature in its scope and execution, and a pleasure to read.

— Morgan Liu

H-Soyuz

Well written, well documented, analytical, detailed and stimulating. I recommend it strongly.

— Colin MacKerras

American Historical Review

[An] excellent... and invaluable book.

— Jonathan Mirsky

New York Review of Books

The requisite scholarly reading on the region.

— Nicolas Becquelin

China Quarterly

The scope and depth of Mr. Millward's latest text is unmatched.

— Ilaria Maria Sala

Far Eastern Economic Review