Description

First Edition. 15 x 23 cm. xxii, 269 pp. Maps, appendices, table of rulers, glossary, bibliographical essay, bibliography, index. For anyone with an interest in Tibet and Central Asia, whether in the region's history or culture, this is one of the most important books to own. This book is the first (and still the only) detailed history in any language of the Tibetan Empire in Central Asia from ca. 600 AD to 866 based on original source materials. It presents the struggles of the great Tibetan, Turkic, Arab, and Chinese powers for dominance over the Silk Road lands that connected Europe and East Asia. Challenging the commonly held belief that East and West were largely isolated from each other until the discovery of sea routes to India and China, the author emphasizes the importance of overland contacts in the Early Middle Ages and elucidates Tibet's role in the conflict over Central Asia. Minor overall rubbing to cloth. Two tiny holes in cloth (as from a small staple) in lower left corner of back board. This cloth edition is out-of-print. ISBN: 0691054940