EDWARD DENISON ROSS, Ph.D.
PROFESSOR OF PERSIAN AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON

WITH 19 ILLUSTRATIONS FROM SKETCHES BY VERESTCHAGIN
NUMEROUS PHOTOGRAPHS AND 2 MAPS

METHUEN & CO.
36 ESSEX STREET, W.C.
LONDON
1899

CONTENTS

[PART I]
FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE RUSSIAN OCCUPATION
CHAP. PAGE
I.EARLIEST TIMES TO THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER[3]
II.BACTRIANS AND PARTHIANS[10]
III.THE HUNS AND THE YUÉ-CHI[14]
IV.THE SĀSĀNIDES, THE EPHTHALITES, AND THE TURKS[22]
V.THE RISE OF ISLAM AND INVASIONS OF THE ARABS[34]
VI.THE FIRST EASTERN CAMPAIGNS OF KUTAYBA IBN MUSLIM[45]
VII.KUTAYBA’S LAST CAMPAIGNS[56]
VIII.KUTAYBA’S FALL AND DEATH[63]
IX.KUTAYBA’S SUCCESSORS[67]
X.NASR IBN SAYYĀR AND ABŪ MUSLIM[77]
XI.KHORĀSĀN UNDER THE FIRST ABBĀSIDS[84]
XII.THE CALIPHATES OF EL-MANSŪR, EL-HĀDI, AND HĀRŪN ER-RASHĪD[90]
XIII.DECLINE OF THE CALIPHS’ AUTHORITY IN KHORĀSĀN. THE TĀHIRIDES[98]
XIV.THE SAFFĀRIDES AND THE RISE OF THE SĀMĀNIDES[103]
XV.THE SĀMĀNIDES[109]
XVI.THE KARA-KHĀNIDES, OR UÏGHŪRS[114]
XVII.THE GHAZNAVIDES AND THE RISE OF THE SELJŪKS[123]
XVIII.THE SELJŪKS[129]
XIX.SULTAN SANJAR AND THE KARA-KHITĀYS[136]
XX.THE KHWĀRAZM-SHĀHS[144]
XXI.CHINGIZ KHĀN[149]
XXII.MONGOL INVASION OF CENTRAL ASIA[155]
XXIII.THE LINE OF CHAGHATĀY[160]
XXIV.TĪMŪR, THE GREAT AMĪR[165]
XXV.THE SUCCESSORS OF TĪMŪR[173]
XXVI.THE SHAYBĀNIDES[182]
XXVII.THE HOUSE OF ASTRAKHAN[194]
XXVIII.THE HOUSE OF MANGIT[204]
XXIX.AMĪR NASRULLAH, A BOKHĀRAN NERO[211]
[PART II]
RUSSIA IN CENTRAL ASIA
I.THE MAKING OF RUSSIA[225]
II.CROSSING THE THRESHOLD OF ASIA[238]
III.THE STRUGGLE WITH THE KHĀNATES[250]
IV.TURKOMANIA AND THE TURKOMANS[262]
V.THE LAST STEP IN ADVANCE[284]
VI.THE CENTRAL ASIAN RAILWAYS[306]
VII.TRANSCASPIA IN 1898[320]
VIII.ASKABAD AND MERV[340]
IX.BOKHĀRĀ, A PROTECTED NATIVE STATE[357]
X.SAMARKAND[386]
XI.FRIENDS OR FOES?[408]
APPENDIX I[417]
APPENDIX II[424]
INDEX[429]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE
GŪR AMĪR, THE MAUSOLEUM OF TAMERLANE (VERESTCHAGIN)[Frontispiece]
SO-CALLED SARCOPHAGUS OF ALEXANDER IN CONSTANTINOPLE(photograph)[9]
THE RAHLA, OR READING DESK, OUTSIDE THE MOSQUE OF BĪBĪ KHĀNŪM, SAMARKAND(photograph)[38]
CENTRAL ASIAN TYPES(VERESTCHAGIN)[47]
GENERAL VIEW OF BOKHĀRĀ(photograph)[66]
RELIGIOUS MENDICANT, BOKHĀRĀ(VERESTCHAGIN)[92]
A JEWISH CHILD OF BOKHĀRĀ(photograph)[106]
CENTRAL ASIAN TYPES(VERESTCHAGIN)[124]
CENTRAL ASIAN TYPES”[126]
MAUSOLEUM OF SULTAN SANJAR, OLD MERV(photograph)[138]
NOMADS CHANGING CAMP(VERESTCHAGIN)[151]
DERVISHES OF THE NAKSHABANDI ORDER”[170]
INTERIOR OF TAMERLANE’S MAUSOLEUM(photograph)[172]
THE TOMB OF TAMERLANE”[172]
INTERIOR OF A KIRGHIZ TENT(VERESTCHAGIN)[183]
DECORATIONS IN THE SHĀH ZINDA, SAMARKAND(photograph)[192]
COURTYARD OF A HOUSE IN SAMARKAND”[212]
ENTRANCE TO THE SHĀH ZINDA, SAMARKAND”[235]
THE SEA OF SAND IN THE KARA-KUM DESERT (1)”[263]
THE SEA OF SAND IN THE KARA-KUM DESERT (2)”[263]
TURKOMAN MUSICIANS”[283]
VIEW FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE FORT OF GEOK TEPPE(photograph)[292]
DIVANIS, OR DERVISHES(VERESTCHAGIN)[307]
GENERAL KURAPATKINE(photograph)[323]
A GROUP OF TURKOMANS AT ASKABAD STATION”[345]
RUINS OF OLD MERV”[353]
HINDUS OF BOKHĀRĀ”[367]
THE MINĀR KALĀN AT BOKHĀRĀ”[374]
PRISONERS OF THE AMĪR OF BOKHĀRĀ”[376]
A BOKHĀRĀ BEAUTY AND HER TWO CHILDREN”[382]
SHĪR DĀR MADRASA, SAMARKAND”[390]
THE BĪBĪ KHĀNŪM”[392]
THE MARKET NEAR BĪBĪ KHĀNŪM, SAMARKAND”[398]
BAZAAR POLITICS(VERESTCHAGIN)[414]
MAPS
THE ADVANCE OF RUSSIA IN CENTRAL ASIA[257]
CENTRAL ASIA[428]