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Central Asia: the Crossroads of Civilizations B. A. Litvinsky, Zhang Guang-da, R. Shabani Samghabadi, eds.. History of the Civilizations of Central Asia, Volume III: The Crossroads of Civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. Paris: UNESCO Publishing, 1996. 568 pp. 300FF, cloth, ISBN 978-92-3-103211-0. Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb Published on H-Asia (December, 1997) Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein clude Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan, and por‐ are those of the reviewer and not of his employer tions of the Soviet Union. Mongolia and China lat‐ or any other federal agency. er joined the United Nations and the scope of the This review is divided into three sections: 1) project was enlarged to include the cultures of Background and General Assessment, 2) Summary Mongolia and the western regions of China. Some of Contents, and 3) Final Assessment, including a delays in implementing this project were due, in comparison with other English language works. part, to the political and civil strife in Afghanistan. The so-called "collapse" of the Soviet 1. Background and General Assessment Union has not been detrimental to the project; the As proclaimed in its Constitution, one of the former Soviet Central Asian republics have con‐ purposes of UNESCO is to develop and to increase tinued to participate in the effort. communication between peoples. In response to The volume reviewed here, although carrying this mandate, a universal history, UNESCO's Histo‐ a publication date of 1996, only recently became ry of the Scientific and Cultural Development of available in the United States, and is the third vol‐ Mankind, was published in 1968. Plans were then ume in a compelling and significant series enti‐ drawn to prepare a series of regional multi-vol‐ tled History of the Civilizations of Central Asia. ume histories of Africa, Central Asia, Latin Ameri‐ The series is projected to be comprehensive and ca, the Caribbean, and Islamic culture. The initial to include six volumes covering the prehistory project, General History of Africa, was completed and history of the region, from the initial evi‐ in the early 1970s, and in 1976 the United Nations dence of human occupation to the present day. authorized UNESCO to proceed with the volumes This volume joins its two renowned predecessors: on Central Asia. However, as the membership of History of the Civilizations of Central Asia, Vol‐ the United Nations expanded, so did the geo‐ ume I: The Dawn of Civilization: Earliest Times to graphic and cultural area comprising Central 700 B.C., edited by A. H. Dani and A. M. Masson Asia. In its initial stage, the coverage was to in‐ H-Net Reviews (535 pp.) and published in 1992; and Volume II: clude A. D. H. Bivar, Richard N. Frye, Janos Har‐ The Development of Sedentary and Nomadic Civi‐ matta, and Denis Sinor. lizations: 700 B.C. to A.D. 250, edited by Janos This is not a treatise for the meek or the casu‐ Harmatta, B. J. Puri, and G. F. Etemadi (573 pp.) al reader. It is packed with information and bibli‐ and issued in 1994. The fourth volume is designed ographic citations and, therefore, serves as an ex‐ to span the period from A.D. 750 to the end of the cellent reference work. The detail and complexity fifteenth century. vary from chapter to chapter, but the educated A distinguished international team of archae‐ layperson can also benefit from using this master‐ ologists, prehistorians, art historians, ethnogra‐ ful work. The book is a multi-stage and multi- phers, historians, and museum curators, among tiered cultural synthesis covering a vast region others, was assembled to synthesize the history of encompasing multiple social and political forms this vast region from 700/500,000 years ago to the and philosophies--as well as a variety of religions, present. They have consulted a voluminous litera‐ sects, and hybrids of these--and the emergence of ture published in many languages, or in obscure feudal and pastoral nomadic state-level societies locations, and often in small press runs. History of among autocratic and oligarchic kingdoms and the Civilizations of Central Asia, Volume III: The nation-states. The geographic vastness and cultur‐ Crossroads of Civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750 has al dynamics of the centuries included in this book twenty-four contributors and seven collaborating make it a superb reference work for the serious specialists from a dozen countries; four are from scholar. Afghanistan, two from India, four from the Islam‐ Eurasia, the combined land mass of Europe ic Republic of Iran, two from Pakistan, three from and Asia, is a physiogeographic concept, while In‐ the People's Republic of China, eleven from the ner Asia includes Central Asia, Siberia and non- Russian Federation (two of whom are now de‐ sedentary peoples inhabiting the area from China ceased), and two from Tajikistan, with one each into contemporary Eastern Europe. Spatially, the from France, Hungary, and the United States of UNESCO volume on Central Asia by necessity America. All of these authors are respected schol‐ touches upon an enormous region from Eastern ars in Central Asian studies of international Europe, Belarus, and Ukraine on the west to the stature and include, for example, K. Chakrabarti, Chinese provinces of Sinkiang, Xingang, and A. H. Dani, Ph. Gignoux, J. Harmatta, B. I. Mar‐ Quinghai on the east, Mongola to the northeast, shak, E. E. Nerazik, Denis Sinor, A. Tafazzoli, and Siberia to the north, and the Indian Ocean to the Wang Yao. The contributors employ, cite, and of‐ south. However, the main focus is on southern ten synthesize a wealth of source materials, in‐ Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turk‐ cluding archaeological reports (among them some menistan, Tajikistan, Persia/Iran, Afghanistan, unpublished documents or materials unavailable Pakistan, and northern India. This "heartland" of in the west), petroglyphic inscriptions, murals, nu‐ Eurasia was the region from which movements of mismatics, written documents ranging from those peoples helped to shape much of the ancient and composed by Latin authors to ones written by In‐ medieval world. Likewise, the frontiers of Central dian scholars and Chinese monks, contemporary Asia have shifted from age to age, varying accord‐ legal texts, eulogies, etc. Information is also pro‐ ing to the balance of power between the indige‐ vided by the nineteem original and sixteen cur‐ nous populations and those of the sedentary civi‐ rent members of the International Scientific Com‐ lizations of Southwest Asia, the Asian Subconti‐ mittee and four members of the Reading Commit‐ nent, and Southeast Asia. tee which oversaw the fnal editing. The latter in‐ 2 H-Net Reviews Chronologically, the book encompasses the umes, and details the structure of the current vol‐ period from the third to the eighth century A.D., a ume. Chapter One, "Historical introduction" (B. A. time of complex political events, warring dynas‐ Litvinsky and Zhang Guang-da), is a masterful ties, ethnic migrations, social and economic re‐ overview in which the Sasanians; Guptas; Sui, forms, and cultural upheaval and resurgence. The Wei, and T'ang dynasties; fve oasis states; the eco‐ UNESCO series and authors of Volume III use con‐ logical setting; nomadic societies; and the Hsiung- sistently B.C. and A.D. terminology rather than nu and the Huns are characterized briefly. The B.C.E. and C.E. The specific period A.D. 250 "Silk Route," the network of land and sea routes through 750 was an era when powerful empires from the Yellow Sea to the Mediterranean and such as Sasanian Iran (224-651) and T'ang China from the south Urals to the Indian Ocean, is (618-907) influenced smaller polities and wit‐ viewed as a conduit of peoples, material culture, nessed the rise (and, sometimes, the fall) of lesser and ideas. The authors state correctly that "the states and kingdoms. Nomadic migrations and the area was an ethnic melting pot, sometimes sim‐ evolution of steppe empires such as the Hsiung- mering quietly and at other times erupting; the nu, Hephthalite (the Red and White Huns), and reciprocal influence and intermingling of cultures Turks took place during this era. In addition to was equally intense" (p. 33). multi-ethnic populations, sociopolitical systems Chapter Two, "Sasanian Iran--economy, soci‐ (some with caste systems and slavery, others ety, arts and crafts" (N. N. Chegini and A. V. semi-feudal in character), and major religious tra‐ Nikitin), provides a well-documented review of ditions (shamanism, Zoroastrianism, Sasanian political history, sociopolitical similari‐ Manichaeism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam) ties to the Parthians who preceeded them, politi‐ arose and declined, or spread. With the Arab con‐ cal administration, royal cities (Bishapur and Cte‐ quest of Iran and Middle Asia and the Islamiza‐ siphon), the fscal reforms of Khursrau I, the irri‐ tion of a major portion of Central Asia, fundamen‐ gation agriculture economy, numismatics, the tal changes occurred not only to religious systems army (organization, strategy, tactics, and arma‐ but also to the sociopolitical fabric of societies, to ments), cities and fortifications, court and reli‐ their secular and religious arts and crafts, and to gious architecture, and arts and crafts (especially their commercial enterprises. Overland trade net‐ stone carving, ceramics, glass, weaving, and silver works such as the "Silk Road" (forms of which ex‐ metallurgy). Notably, Roman prisoners of war isted in prehistoric times well before C.E.) and the were enlisted to build dams and bridges, while sea routes not only played roles in the dissemina‐ Achaemenid, Roman, and Parthian models of ar‐ tion of goods and services, but also religious and chitectural style were appropriated, as was the political ideologies, and the spread of cultural and adoption of the technique of "proclamatory art," scientific heritage.
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