A History of the Tajiks: Iranians of the East (Library of Middle East History)

"In this comprehensive and up to date history, from prehistoric proto-Indo-Iranian times to the post-Soviet period, Richard Foltz traces the complex linguistic, cultural and political history of the Tajiks, a Persian-speaking Iranian ethnic group from the modern-day Central Asian states of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. In eight chapters, the author explores the revitalisation of Persian culture under the Samanid Empire in the Tajik heartlands of historical Khorasan and Transoxiana; analyses the evolution of the politics of Tajik identity; and traces the history of the ethnic Tajik diaspora today."--Bloomsbury Publishing. "In this comprehensive and up to date history, from prehistoric proto-Indo-Iranian times to the post-Soviet period, Richard Foltz traces the complex linguistic, cultural and political history of the Tajiks, a Persian-speaking Iranian ethnic group from the modern-day Central Asian states of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. In eight chapters, the author explores the revitalisation of Persian culture under the Samanid Empire in the Tajik heartlands of historical Khorasan and Transoxiana; analyses the evolution of the politics of Tajik identity; and traces the history of the ethnic Tajik diaspora today"-- Provided by publisher Cover Contents List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgements Historical Timeline A Note on Transliteration Introduction: Who Are the Tajiks? 1 The Prehistory of the Tajiks 2 Sogdians and Bactrians 3 The Samanid Empire and the New Persian Renaissance 4 Tajiks and Turks 5 The Soviet Period 6 The Republic of Tajikistan 7 Tajiks beyond the Borders: Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, China and the Diaspora Conclusion: What Future for the Tajiks? Excursus: Afghanistan at a Stone’s Throw Notes Bibliography Index A comprehensive and up to date history, spanning the Sogdian to the post-Soviet period, in this book, Richard Foltz traces the complex linguistic, cultural and political history of the Tajiks. In eight chapters, the author explores the revitalisation of Persian culture under the Samanid Empire in the Tajik heartlands of historical Khorasan and Transoxiana; the evolution of the politics of Tajik identity; and traces the history of the ethnic Tajik diaspora today. Richard Foltz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.