The Steppe Nomads: The History of the Different Nomadic Groups and Their Raids into Europe

'From Genghis Khan to the arid wastes of the Gobi desert, from the Soviet Union's most Stalinist satellite to the first Asian communist country to embrace democracy, Mongolia has always been an area of mystery and dread to westerners. Studied in school as part of the core curriculum, the Mongol Empire once stretched across Asia from the Pacific Ocean to Kiev and Baghdad. In modern times, interest in Mongolia has been suddenly sparked by the opening up of the country after 70 years of isolation in the Communist block. This first comprehensive A-to-Z encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongols provides up-to-date, accurate, and readable entries on all aspects of this people's turbulent history and rich culture, from prehistory to modern times. While particular emphasis is placed on the Mongol Empire, entries cover the country's entire history and range from geography to culture and religion to personalities, battles, daily life, and folklore. This volume is a great first-stop for research on Mongolia as well as a valuable reference for those wishing to expand their knowledge of a region that is, to most westerners, exotic and relatively unknown'--Provided by publisher. This Revised Edition Is A Concise, Yet Comprehensive, Narrative Of The History Of Russia From The Reign Of Vladimir I The Saint, Through The Reign Of Ivan Iv The Terrible. Supplementing The Original Edition With Results Of Recently Published Scholarship As Well As Her Own Research, Janet Martin Emphasizes The Dynamics Of Russia's Political Evolution From The Loose Federation Of Principalities Known As Kievan Rus' Through The Era Of Mongol Domination To The Development Of The Muscovite State. Her Analyses Of The Ruling Dynasty And Of Economic Influences On Political Development, And Her Explorations Of Society, Foreign Relations, Religion, And Culture Provide A Basis For Understanding The Transformations Of The Lands Of Rus'. Her Lines Of Argument Are Clear And Coherent; Her Conclusions And Interpretations Are Provocative. The Result Is An Informative, Accessible, Up-to-date Account That Will Be Of Interest To Both Students And Specialists Of Early Rus'.--jacket. The Era Of Vladimir I -- Princes And Politics (1015-1125) -- Kievan Rus' Society -- Kievan Rus' : The Final Century -- The Golden Horde -- The Russian Lands Within The Golden Horde -- The Daniilovich Ascension -- The Unification And Centralization Of Muscovy -- Muscovite Domestic Consolidation -- Foreign Policy And Foreign Trade -- Ivan Iv The Terrible -- Conclusions And Controversies. Janet Martin. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [448]-483) And Index. This revised edition is a concise, yet comprehensive narrative of the history of Russia from the reign of Vladimir I the Saint, through to the reign of Ivan IV the Terrible. Supplementing the original edition with results of recently published scholarship as well as her own research, Janet Martin emphasizes the dynamics of Russia's political evolution from the loose federation of principalities known as Kievan Rus'through the era of Mongol domination to the development of the Muscovite state. Her analyses of the ruling dynasty, of economic influences on political development, and her explorations of society, foreign relations, religion, and culture provide a basis for understanding the transformations of the lands of Rus'. Her lines of argument are clear and coherent; her conclusions and interpretations are provocative. The result is an informative, accessible, up-to-date account that will be of interest to both students and specialists of early Rus'. This revised edition is a concise, yet comprehensive narrative of the history of Russia from the reign of Vladimir I the Saint, through to the reign of Ivan IV the Terrible. Supplementing the original edition with results of recently published scholarship as well as her own research, Janet Martin emphasizes the dynamics of Russia's political evolution from the loose federation of principalities known as Kievan Rus' through the era of Mongol domination to the development of the Muscovite state. Her analyses of the ruling dynasty, of economic influences on political development, and her explorations of society, foreign relations, religion, and culture provide a basis for understanding the transformations of the lands of Rus'. Her lines of argument are clear and coherent; her conclusions and interpretations are provocative. The result is an informative, accessible, up-to-date account that will be of interest to both students and specialists of early Rus' This is an extensive study, supplemented by an edition of relevant sources, of the diplomatic contacts between Poland-Lithuania and the Crimean Khanate between the early 15th and the late 18th century. It contains a chronology of mutual relations, a formal analysis of various types of documents, and a glimpse into the working of the Crimean chancery, where Genghisid and Islamic forms mixed with those borrowed from Christian Europe.The book provides a fascinating insight into the intercultural exchange between Catholic Poland (with Latin and then Polish as the main chancery language) and predominantly Orthodox Lithuania (with Ruthenian as the main chancery language) on the one hand, and the Muslim Crimean Khanate (with Khwarezmian Turkic and then Ottoman Turkish as the main chancery language) on the other. It depicts Eastern Europe as a zone of contact, where the relations between Slavs and Tatars were by no means always hostile. "Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire is the first comprehensive A-to-Z encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongols. It provides up-to-date, accurate entries on all aspects of the Mongols' history and culture, from prehistory to modern times. While particular emphasis is placed on the Mongol Empire, entries cover the country's entire history and range from geography to culture and religion to personalities, battles, daily life, and folklore." Entires on major entries are accompanied by a further reading list to guide readers to selected resources for more in-depth research. This volume is a great first stop for research on Mongolia as well as a valuable reference for those wishing to expand their knowledge of a region that is, to most Westerners, exotic and relatively unknown. Black-and-white photographs, detailed maps, a bibliography, chronology, and index round out this resource. The Mongols had a huge impact on medieval Europe and the Islamic world. This book provides a comprehensive survey of contacts between the Catholic West and the Mongol world-empire from the first appearance of Chinggis Khan's armies in 1221 down to the death of Tamerlane (1405) and the battle of Tannenberg (1410). This book considers the Mongols as allies as well as conquerors; the perception of them in the West; the papal response to the threat (and opportunity) they presented; the fate of the Frankish principalities in the Holy Land in the path of the Mongol onslaught; Western European embassies and missions to the East; and the impact of the Mongols on the expanding world view of the maturing Middle Ages. For courses in crusading history and medieval European history. A comprehensive history of Russia from the reign of Vladimir I the Saint through to Ivan IV the Terrible. This revised edition includes the results of recent studies and the author's own research to present an analysis of political, social, and economic history, foreign relations, culture and religion. Drawing on rich source material in several languages and three scripts (Arabic, Cyrillic, and Latin), this book presents a broad picture of international relations in early modern Eastern Europe, at the crossing point of Genghisid, Islamic, Orthodox, and Latin traditions. A comprehensive A-to-Z encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongols providing up-to-date entries on all aspects of this people's turbulent history and rich culture, from prehistory to modern times. Particular emphasis is placed on the Mongol Empire. Presents information on Mongolia and the Mongol empire, including facts about geography, climate, ethnic composition, religion, historical background, political structure, economy, education, and more In the year 980, an obscure prince landed on the northern shores of a land that became known as Rus' and later, Russia. By Dariusz Kołodziejczyk. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.