Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Note on Translation and Transliteration -- Map -- Introduction -- Part 1: Central Asia in the Early Islamic Period, Seventh to Tenth Centuries -- Introduction -- A Central Asia and the Arab Conquests -- 1 Baladhuri: The Arab Conquests of Central Asia -- 2 Tabari: Another Look at the Arab Conquests -- B Central Asia under the Samanids -- 3 Narshakhi: The Rise of the House of Saman -- 4 Hudud al-'Alam: The Frontiers of the Muslim World in the Tenth Century -- C The Age of Learning -- 5 Ibn Sina: Biographical Notes -- 6 al-Biruni: On the Importance of the Sciences -- Part 2: Encounter with the Turks -- Introduction -- A Turkic Peoples of the Steppe -- 7 The Orkhon Inscriptions: The Early Turks -- 8 al-Jahiz: The Peculiarities of the Turks -- 9 Gardizi: The Turks in Early Muslim Traditions -- 10 Ibn Fadlan: Journey to the Northern Lands -- B Qarakhanids: The First Turkic Muslim State in Central Asia -- 11 al-Kashghari: On the Linguistic Distribution of the Turks -- 12 Jamal Qarshi: The Conversion to Islam of Satuq Bughra Khan -- 13 Yusuf Hass Hajib: Advice to the Qarakhanid Rulers -- C Central Asia in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries -- 14 al-'Utbi: The Alliance of the Ghaznavids and Qarakhanids -- 15 Ibn Khallikan: Biography of the Vizier Nizam al-Mulk -- 16 Nizam al-Mulk: A Mirror for Princes -- 17 Qabus-nama: A Different Mirror for Princes -- 18 Liao Shih: Nomadic Khitan State and Society -- Part 3: The Mongol Empire -- Introduction -- A Temujin and the Rise of the Mongol Empire -- 19 Secret History of the Mongols: Temujin's Origins -- 20 Hayton: Temujin and the Rise of the Mongol Empire -- 21 Nasawi: The Khorezmshah's Downfall -- 22 Chang Chun: A Daoist Monk in Central Asia -- 23 Juzjani: Chaghatay the Accursed! -- B Islamic Central Asia under Mongol Rule.

24 Rashid al-Din: In Defense of Chaghatay Khan -- 25 Juvaini: The Il-Khan Hülegü Captures the Castles of the Heretics -- 26 Mirza Haydar Dughlat: The Conversion to Islam of Tughluq Timur Khan -- 27 Ibn Battuta: Travels in Western Central Asia in the Fourteenth Century -- Part 4: Timur and the Timurids -- Introduction -- A Timur's Rise and Rule -- 28 Ibn 'Arabshah: Timur and His Steppe Campaigns -- 29 Ibn Khaldun: Personal Narrative of a Meeting with Timur -- 30 Ruy González de Clavijo: A Spanish Embassy to Timur's Capital -- B Central Asia in the Fifteenth Century -- 31 Khwandamir: Timur's Heirs: Shahrukh and Ulughbeg -- 32 Nava'i: A Comparison between Persian and Turkic -- 33 Khoja Ahrar: Letters -- 34 Five Readings on Sufi Orders in Central Asia: Competition, Practice, Politics -- Part 5: Central Asia in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries -- Introduction -- A The Shïbanids and Central Asian Society in the Sixteenth Century -- 35 Zubdat al-athar: The Beginnings of the Shïbanid State -- 36 Babur: Description of the Farghana Valley and Babur's Ejection from Samarqand -- 37 Anthony Jenkinson: An English Merchant in Central Asia -- 38 Juybari Archives: A Sixteenth-Century Bukharan Deed of Sale -- 39 Akbar, Emperor of India: A Letter to 'Abdallah Khan Uzbek, King of Turan -- B Central Asia in the Seventeenth Century -- 40 Abu'l-Ghazi: Reasons for Writing the Genealogies of the Turks and Turkmens -- 41 Ivan Khokhlov: A Russian Envoy to Central Asia -- 42 Sayyeda-ye Nasafi: A Visit to the Shrine of Baha' al-Din Naqshband -- 43 Churas: Erke Bek, a Turkestani in the Service of the Oirats -- Part 6: Central Asia in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries -- Introduction -- A The Age of Transition -- 44 Timur's Legendary Biographies -- 45 Thompson and Hogg: British Trade East of the Caspian.

46 'Abd al-Karim Kashmiri: Nadir Shah's Campaign in Central Asia -- B The Uzbek Tribal Dynasties -- 47 Tuhfat al-khani: The Inauguration of Muhammad Rahim Khan Manghït -- 48 Majma' al-arqam: An Administrative Manual from Bukhara -- 49 A Collection of Royal Decrees from Khiva -- 50 Muntakhab al-tavarikh: On the Relations between Qoqand and Kashghar -- C The "Great Game" to Russian Rule -- 51 Alexander Burnes: The Importance of Bukhara in Great Game Politics -- 52 Mohan Lal: A Journey among the Turkmens -- 53 Levshin: Observations on the Qazaqs -- 54 Nikolai Ignatiev: Russia's Agenda in Central Asia -- 55 Bayani: The Russian Conquest of Khiva and the Massacre of the Yomut Turkmens -- Glossary -- Index.