Central Asia, encompassing Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Xinjiang in China, is often perceived as remote yet stands at the crossroads of significant world events. Adeeb Khalid presents a comprehensive history of the region from the mid-eighteenth century to the present, illuminating the historical forces that have influenced it under imperial and Communist rule. Predominantly Muslim, with both nomadic and settled populations, Central Asia fell under Russian and Chinese control after the 1700s. Khalid illustrates how foreign conquests integrated Central Asians into global exchanges of goods and ideas, fostering connections with the wider world. He examines the responses of the Qing and Tsarist empires to ethnic diversity and contrasts Soviet and Chinese Communist approaches to managing national and cultural differences. The book emphasizes the enduring interconnections between the Russian and Chinese regions of Central Asia and asserts that Xinjiang remains a vital part of the area, despite its complex relationship with contemporary China. This essential history reveals how modernity—through colonialism, social revolution, nationalism, and state-led modernization—has profoundly shaped one of the most diverse and culturally vibrant regions on the planet.
