Islamic Central Asia is the first English-language anthology of primary documents for the study of Central Asian history. Scott C. Levi and Ron Sela draw from a vast array of historical sources to illustrate important aspects of the social, cultural, political, and economic history of Islamic Central Asia. These documents-many newly translated and most not readily available for study-cover the period from the 7th-century Arab conquests to the 19th-century Russian colonial era and provide new insights into the history and significance of the region.

Note on Translation and TransliterationMapIntroductionPart 1. Central Asia in the Early Islamic Period, Seventh-Tenth Centuries Introduction A. Central Asia and the Arab Conquests B. Central Asia under the Samanids C. The Age of LearningPart 2. Encounter with the Turks Introduction A. Turkic Peoples of the Steppe B. Qarakhanids: The First Turkic Muslim State in Central Asia C. Central Asia in the Eleventh and Twelfth CenturiesPart 3. The Mongol Empire Introduction A. Temujin and the Rise of the Mongol EmpirePart 4. Timur and the Timurids Introduction A. Timur's Rise and Rule B. Central Asia in the Fifteenth CenturyPart 5. Central Asia in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries Introduction A. The Shïbanids and Central Asian Society in the Sixteenth Century B. Central Asia in the Seventeenth CenturyPart 6. Central Asia in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries Introduction A. The Age of Transition B. The Uzbek Tribal Dynasties C. The "Great Game" to Russian RuleGlossaryIndex