Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia
Where to Watch Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia
24.
Independence and Modern Central Asia
2025-09-18
Conclude with a look at Central Asia following the USSR
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23.
The Uyghurs and East Turkistan
2025-09-18
Assess the Chinese claim that the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, East Turkestan, has always been part of China. Look at evidence for the Uyghur view of the region as the homeland of a Uyghur nation.
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22.
Prosperity and the Fall of the USSR
2025-09-18
As the Soviet economy stagnated in the 1970s, witness how Central Asia nevertheless experienced accelerated economic development. Learn about substantial industrial and urban growth in the region, and dramatically improved living standards.
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21.
Life in Soviet Central Asia
2025-09-18
The mid-1950s to mid-1980s were in many ways a golden age in Central Asia
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20.
Stalin, War, and New Identities
2025-09-18
Revisit the era known as the Great Terror, in which Stalin annihilated the first generation of Soviet communists in Central Asia, with the execution and deportation of intellectuals, political figures, and entire ethnicities. Grasp the ways in which the hardships and horrors of World War II, notwithstanding the vast suffering, laid the foundations of a Soviet identity for Central Asians.
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19.
Revolution, Modernization, and Famine
2025-09-18
Delve into the events of the Russian revolution of 1917 and the Bolsheviks
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18.
Cotton, Colonialism, and Rebellion
2025-09-18
Examine the actions of the Tsarist regime aimed at making colonized Central Asia profitable. Observe how the Russian creation of a huge cotton industry
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17.
Colonial Turkestan and Tashkent
2025-09-18
Russia-ruled Central Asia followed the example set by the European colonial empires. In Turkestan, learn how Russian administrators studied their colonized populations to better control them, and created a typically colonial legal system.
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16.
Russia
2025-09-18
Uncover the origins of the Russian state and of the Russian Empire, which came to include nomadic peoples of the steppe.
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15.
Bukhara and the Madrassas
2025-09-18
Dig into the history and lore of the city-state of Bukhara, as it became one of the premier centers of learning in the Islamic world, and a major stop on the Silk Road. See how Bukhara gained prominence under the Shibanids, who left works of majestic architecture.
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14.
New States and Confederations
2025-09-18
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Central Asia saw a complex quilt of state-building from east to west. In East Turkestan, follow the emergence of the Sufi Altishahr state in the south, the Buddhist Zungar khanate in the north, and a florescence in the arts.
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13.
The Timurid Renaissance
2025-09-18
The two centuries following the death of Tamerlane in 1405 were a time of cultural flourishing in Central Asia. Under the Timurids and their successors, the Shibanids, witness the growth of a sophisticated Islamic culture, seen in the profusion of madrasas (academies of learning), and wide patronage of the arts and sciences.
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12.
Islam and Sufism in Central Asia
2025-09-18
Explore the culture of Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, whose followers seek a direct oneness with God. Observe how Sufism took root in Central Asia, where it remains strong today, and look into its core traditions and beliefs.
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11.
Tamerlane, the Sword of Islam
2025-09-18
Travel through the incredible life of the fearsome 14th-century conqueror Timur, or Tamerlane, whose legacy lives on in Central Asia today. Take account of his extraordinary political shrewdness and empire-building; his legendary cruelty as a military leader; and his patronage of the arts, leaving a cultural flowering and stunning architectural monuments in his sumptuous capital of Samarqand.
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10.
The Coming of the Mongols
2025-09-18
As precursors to the renowned Mongols, observe how the Qarakhanid Empire helped build a distinct Turko-Persian civilization and intellectual life. Then trace the epic conquests of the Mongols, who created one of the largest empires in history.
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9.
The Age of the Polymaths
2025-09-18
The Samanid dynasty followed the Abbasid tradition of patronage of scholars and artists, making its great capital of Bukhara a center of learning that rivaled Baghdad.
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8.
The Arrival of Islam
2025-09-18
The absorption of Central Asia into the Islamic world completely transformed the region and its peoples. Study the four phases of the Arab conquest of the Eurasian steppe in the seventh and eighth centuries, and the resulting cosmopolitan Islamic civilization which integrated the cultures of nomadic and sedentary peoples.
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7.
Khazars and Khaganates
2025-09-18
The Khazar khaganate was unique in being a Jewish state which took root outside of the Middle East. Investigate the origins of the Khazars, how they came to embrace Judaism, and the function the faith played in their political life.
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6.
Rise of the Turkic Empires
2025-09-18
Trace the origins of Turkic nomadic peoples, the emergence of the Turkic khaganate in the sixth century, and their expansion to become the first empire to link Europe with China. With the fall of the Turk khaganate, there rose another Turkic empire, the Uyghur khaganate.
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5.
The Xiongnu and Tensions with China
2025-09-18
The Xiongnu nomads of Mongolia were one of the first nomadic confederations to become an empire. Chart the Xiongnu
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4.
Sogdiana and a Cultural Crossroad
2025-09-18
Religion became a key form of cultural fusion in early Central Asia. Trace the influence in the region of the beliefs and rituals of Zoroastrianism, and the role of Buddhism in the development of long-distance trade.
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3.
Early Empires on the Steppe
2025-09-18
The history of the Eurasian steppe was shaped by the interface of the nomadic tribes at its core and the sedentary civilizations that surrounded it. Track the incursions onto the steppe of the Persian Achaemenid Dynasty, the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, the Kushan Empire, and the Han Dynasty of China.
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2.
Scythian and Nomadic Culture
2025-09-18
The Scythians were among the first people to dominate large parts of Central Asia. Explore their nomadic lifestyle, and their excavated burial mounds, showing spectacular grave goods with great artistic sophistication.
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1.
Central Asia: A Lay of the Land
2025-09-18
Begin with a geographic overview of Central Asia, a land of climatic extremes, encompassing mountain ranges, rivers, vast deserts, and fertile steppes. Take account of the two types of societies that emerged here: nomadic peoples of the desert and steppe and agriculturalists of the waterways and oases.
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Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia is a series categorized as a new series. Spanning 1 seasons with a total of 24 episodes, the show debuted on 2025. The series has earned a no reviews from both critics and viewers. The IMDb score stands at undefined.
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How can I watch Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia online? Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia is available on The Great Courses with seasons and full episodes. You can also watch Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia on demand at Prime Video, Apple TV Channels, Amazon online.
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