TTC Video - Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia

Across more than 2,000 years, the great Eurasian powers were drawn to Central Asia, seeking to influence and dominate this landlocked world, where numerous societies and empires rose and fell. The product of this interface is a breathtaking historical saga, at this singular meeting point of east and west, north and south.

Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia brings alive the incredible story of Central Asia in vivid and unforgettable detail. In the inspired and insightful teaching of Professor Eren Tasar of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, these 24 lectures will take you on a wide-ranging exploration into the magnificent landscapes, the extraordinary steppe and desert cultures, the resplendent cities, and the epic conquests that characterized this mysterious and multifaceted part of the world.

Along the way, you’ll witness the remarkable emergence of the first empires that ruled the steppe. You’ll chart the rise of the Turkic peoples and culture, and the melding of beliefs that created a distinctive and cosmopolitan practice of Islam. And you’ll delve into the complex legacies of Russian, Chinese, and Soviet rule that have shaped the modern nations of the region. The result is a window onto an astonishing fusion of peoples, cultures, ideas, and beliefs—a true crossroads of civilization.

Discover an Astonishing Civilization

In this enthralling, eye-opening course, you’ll uncover the extraordinary history of the peoples of Central Asia. You’ll learn about their distinct ways of life and cultures and their unique role in the unfolding of human civilization, including notable facts and historical figures and events such as:

• Central Asian cultures produced some of the world’s most stunning artistic treasures, from the exquisite golden artifacts of Kazakhstan’s Issyk burial site and the renowned Bactrian Hoard to the phenomenal Afrosiyob Palace murals of the Sogdians and the glittering Timurid monuments of Samarqand.
• For over a millennium, Central Asia was one of the most diverse religious landscapes in human history, with communities practicing Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Judaism, Nestorian Christianity, Manichaeism, and finally Islam, all interacting with local practices and religious beliefs.
• Some of most important thinkers in human history came from Central Asia, such as the philosopher Abu Nasr al-Farabi; iconic polymath Iba Sina (Avicenna); Abu Al Rayhan al-Biruni, considered the father of anthropology; and Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, considered the father of algebra.
• By the 9th century, Central Asia had become a cradle of Islamic civilization, with the Silk Road city-state of Bukhara rivaling Baghdad in wealth, culture, and learning.
• In the modern era, Central Asia was part of the Soviet sphere: the world’s first man-made satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched from Kazakhstan in 1957, and the first man in space in 1961 and the first woman in space in 1963 were both launched into orbit from Kazakhstan.

A Fabled Region, Rich in History and Culture

The absorbing presentation of Professor Tasar, an expert scholar of Central Asian history who has worked and lived in the region over many years, is key to the brilliance of this course. Professor Tasar’s finely honed insights, richly detailed knowledge, and personal experience of these cultures make for a thrilling and revelatory historical odyssey. Lavish location footage, color photos, maps, diagrams, and glorious artworks enrich the narrative.

Your immersion in Central Asian culture and history includes subject matter, such as:

• Great Peoples of Central Asia. Travel into the history of the many peoples who dominated the region, from the nomadic Scythians, who left spectacular royal graves, and the Sogdians, powerful traders at the Silk Road’s center, to the Manichaean Uyghur empire, the Jewish Khazar khaganate, the Buddhist Zungar khanate, and the empire of the iconic conqueror Tamerlane.
• Rich Steppe Traditions. Learn about the remarkable ways of life of the nomadic cultures of Central Asia; their striking innovations, such as the domestication of the horse; their veneration of ancestors, religious practices, and display of power through hugely elaborate burials; their intricate and abstract animal art; and their yurts, which could be remarkably lavish, adorned with silks, fine furs, carpets, and luxury objects.
• Conquests of the Eurasian Powers. Take the measure of the many conquering powers that subdued and ruled regions of Central Asia, such as the Persian Achaemenid Empire, which invaded Scythia; the Han Dynasty of China; the Arab Abbasid and Umayyad caliphates, who brought Islam; the Qarakhanid Empire; the fearsome Mongols; and more.
• A Flowering of Islamic Culture. Discover how Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, took root in the region, and grasp the cultural prominence and veneration of Sufi masters; explore the sophisticated Islamic culture that grew under the Samanids, Timurids, and Shibanids, seen in wide patronage of the arts, sciences, and scholarship, and the building of dazzling madrasas (study centers), mosques, and tombs in the cities of Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarqand.
• Russian Conquest and Colonial Rule. Across three lectures, delve into the 19th-century era of Russian imperial rule; track the vast Russian campaign absorbing Kokand, Bukhara, Turkic lands, and other regions into the Russian Empire; and witness the events of the Tsarist colonial period, including the emergence of a large-scale cotton economy, producing terrible suffering, hardship, and rebellion.
• Soviet and Chinese Rule and Independence. With the birth of the USSR, take in the full picture of 74 years of Soviet control of the region, characterized by tragic famines, Stalin’s Great Terror, the World War II effort, and substantial economic development in the Late Socialist era; trace the hardships following the USSR’s fall, the assimilationist policies of the Chinese Communist Party in East Turkestan, and the challenges and successes of the modern Central Asian nations.

Linking East and West

Beyond the course’s compelling cultural and historical perspectives, Professor Tasar brings to the course his significant personal experience in the region to highlight the themes, patterns, and amazing tales that make this part of the world a unique and vital part of the story of civilization.

As you journey across the region with Professor Tasar, you’ll hear his account of a beloved relative’s marriage, family life, and experience living under the Soviets; you’ll learn about local food specialties, such as how to prepare osh, a savory stew eaten at weddings, funerals, and holidays across Central Asia; and you’ll become familiar with the works of Central Asian literary giants, such as Chagatai poet Ali Shir Nava’i, considered the founder of modern Turkic literature, and Kazakhstan’s revered national poet, Abai.

Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia reveals a part of the world that is relatively unknown to many of us, but which has played an integral role in the unfolding of human civilization, from the Far East to the frontiers of Europe.