Battle for Inner Asia

The second Silk Roads Era, c.400–1000 CE, was a transformative period in world history. In this engaging holistic analysis, Craig Benjamin explores the developments that made it possible. Utilizing an extensive range of sources, he explores the consequences of Islamic expansion and the gripping contest that ensued between Chinese, Turkic, Tibetan and Muslim armies. Readers follow the generals who fought for control of Inner Asia, travels with the Sogdian and Muslim caravans that traversed challenging land routes, and voyages on sturdy commercial vessels that sailed enormous distances across the Indian Ocean Basin. The study also highlights two key events of the mid-eighth century, the Battle of Talas and the An Lushan Rebellion, which had devastating consequences. Benjamin demonstrates how this history still resonates in the region today, and how much the past continues to shape the present and future of our world.