ENCOUNTERS IN CENTRAL ASIA MODERN CENTRAL ASIA VEGETATION

ENCOUNTERS IN CENTRAL ASIA

MODERN CENTRAL ASIA

VEGETATION ZONES

TOPOGRAPHY

THE STEPPE

THE STEPPE AND HUT

THE DESERTS

THE MOUNTAINS

THE OASIS

TIMELINE § § § TO 1500 BCE: RISE OF PASTORAL NOMADS 1500 BCE-200 BCE: INDO-EUROPEAN AGE 200 BCE-1380 CE: SILK ROAD EXCHANGES 200 BCE-1250 CE: XIONG-NU TO TURKS 1250 CE-1470 CE: THE MONGOL AGE 1470 CE-1640 CE: THE LAST NOMADS

NOMADIC ANIMALS

NOMADIC WARRIOR

INDO-EUROPEANS

CHARIOT PEOPLES INDO-EUROPEANS INDO-IRANIANS INDO-ARYANS THE SHANG ?

CYCLE OF CIVILIZATION 1. Nomads invade, conquer sedentary civilization 4. Nomadic culture weakens, loses all elements of old culture, falls to new nomadic threat. 2. Nomads settled down, adopt many aspects of conquered civilization. 3. New syncretic culture thrives, reaches heights.

1000 - 200 B. C. E. Later Indo-Europeans especially the Sakas, Kushans, Bactrians, Parthians & Sassanids migrated into South and Southwest Asian; their movements blended Hellenistic, Persian, and Buddhist elements in a unique culture. Persians became very active in Central Asian settlement and trade

PARTHIANS, KUSHANS

SASSANIDS

HAN DYNASTY

THE HAN, ZHANG QIAN’S EMBASSIES, HORSES & SILK

THE SILK ROAD There were many Silk Roads across Central Asia beginning in China and ending on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean.

THE SILK ROAD Han China and the Xiong-Nu battled for control of the Eastern Steppe. In the process, China sought allies & Central Asian horses, which they exchanged for silk. The nomadic peoples exchanged the silk with civilizations in Southwest Asia and the Silk Road was born.

RELIGIOUS EXCHANGES SYNCRETISM

INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGES Trade and/or Tribute?

INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGES Art and Architecture

THE XIONG-NU

XIONG-NU, HUNS, BLACK & WHITE HUNS Tribute Empire Confederacy Hostages Political Marriages Allies, Mercenaries Destroyed Rome, India Invaded Sassanid Persia Threatened China, Germans

UIGHURS (TURKS) The branches ruled in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Sinkiang; parts migrated into Kazakh steppes & river valleys called Sogdiana • Manichaen and Buddhist • Supported merchants • Developed art, literature • Allies, Enemies, Saviors of Tang

TURKS IN CENTRAL ASIA

ISLAM IN CENTRAL ASIA Arab Nomads Muhammad Sasanids Overrun: Umayyads: Abbassids: Battle of Talas: Religion & Technology Paper Products! 600 CE 622 CE 637 CE 7 th c. 8 th c. 751 CE

TURKS IN SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST ASIA § Seljuk Turks: l l 9 th c. Seljuk Turks invade Southwest Asia and defeat both the Abbassids and Byzantines. Create sultanates and military states; rule as mercenaries throughout region. § Khwarazm Empire: 12 th c.

THE MONGOLS Chinggis Khan Yuan Dynasty (China, Mongolia) Golden Horde (Russia, Ukraine) Ilkhanids (Persia, Iraq) Chagatayids (Central Asia) Pax Mongolica

EXTENT OF MONGOL EMPIRE

EXCHANGES UNDER THE MONGOLS Technology, Diseases, Peoples, Tribute

TAMERLANE Central Asia and Afghanistan devastating raids into India, Persia, Iraq, Caucasus Mts. and Turkey. Built mounds of skulls following conquests and sieges.

RELATED TOPICS • The Pandemic called the Black Death • Travels of Polo, Ibn Battuta, Bar Sauma • Exchanges of Technologies • The Rise, Decline, Fall of Ming (China) • The Mughal Dynasty (India) • The Safavid and Qajar Dynasties (Persia) • The Ottoman Empire • The Rise of Moscovy (Russian Empire)

WHAT ENDED THE AGE OF NOMADS? Firearms Standing Armies High-yield agriculture Strong, centralized bureaucracies Pandemics devastated nomads Acculturation Established religions Sea-borne trade

INTERNET LINKS THE ART OF THE SILK ROAD depts. washington. edu/uwch/silkroad/ exhibit/index. shtml SILK ROAD ENCOUNTERS www. askasia. org/teachers/Instructional_ Resources/FEATURES/Silk. Road/ Intro. htm